PORT ANGELES — Amber Steim will face trial on charges of vehicular homicide and witness tampering in Clallam County, a judge ruled Thursday.
Judge Ken Williams denied a motion for a change of venue during a hearing in Clallam County Superior Court and reset her trial date, originally set for Sept. 12, to Dec. 5.
Steim, 24, of Port Angeles is charged with vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol and witness tampering.
Charges
She is accused of killing Ellen J. DeBondt, a 44-year-old nurse who lived in Crescent Beach, in March while driving with a blood-alcohol level three times over the legal limit on state Highway 112 near Joyce.
Steim and her passenger, Nicole Boucher, had minor injuries.
Port Angeles defense attorneys Ralph Anderson and William Payne had cited the standing-room-only crowds at Steim’s various court hearings and extensive coverage in the local press in their motion requesting that Steim’s trial be moved to another county.
Williams on Thursday also delayed ruling on a motion to sever the witness tampering charge from the vehicular homicide case.
Steim is accused of contacting Boucher to fabricate an excuse involving alcohol.
She is free on a $100,000 bond.
Prosecutors allege that Steim had a blood-alcohol level of 0.239 percent when the pickup truck she was driving crossed the centerline and struck DeBondt’s pickup.
The legal limit in Washington is 0.08 percent.
If Steim is convicted of vehicular homicide, she faces a sentence of between 31 and 41 months in prison and a $50,000 fine.
The Class A felony carries a sentence of up to life in prison, but since Steim has a low-offender score, the sentence limit is 41 months, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Troberg has said.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Rob Ollikainen also contributed to this report.
