OAKLAND – A girl arrested and charged with killing an Alameda County sheriff's dispatcher in an alleged drunken crash was in a position to avoid further prison time after a legal debate over the science behind breathalyzer devices, court records show.
Lynnette Davis, 32, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving last June. The May 5 crash was the results of an accident that killed Antoinette Finau, whose vehicle was sideswiped on her solution to work. Davis was released from prison on Aug. 6 and placed in a supervised release program, with the condition that she wear a breathalyzer and never drink alcohol during her release, records show.
In mid-August, nevertheless, prosecutors were prompted to arrest and detain Davis after a failed test. A breathalyzer officer wrote in a report that the breathalyzer detected alcohol on August 13 and remained so until August 14.
However, Davis denied that she had been drinking, saying as an alternative that she had spent many of the day cleansing her house. The defense presented a report by Joseph Anderson, a forensic alcohol consultant, who said the test results were well outside the “known range of ethanol excretion in the body” and subsequently indicated a false reading.
“These observed behaviors raise significant doubt that these measurements were caused by consumed ethanol,” Anderson wrote. “Alternatively, the measurements could have been caused by other factors, including, but not limited to, calibration drift, environmental contaminants, and water management.”
Davis' godmother also submitted a letter denying that Davis had consumed alcohol that day.
“This matter is very serious for Lynette. She has not and will not compromise her freedom, her chance to do the right thing and be part of her daughter's life,” her godmother wrote.
A judge denied a request to detain Davis at a court hearing in late August. Instead, Davis was reminded of the court order that claims she cannot drink alcohol and must enroll in an addiction program, court records show.
Finau was killed on the intersection of East 14th Street and one hundred and fiftieth Avenue around 11:15 p.m. on May 5, San Leandro police said in a news release. Davis, who was not injured, showed “obvious signs of intoxication” and failed a breathalyzer test, police said in court documents. She was arrested on manslaughter charges that very same evening.
Finau's colleagues said on the time that she had dedicated her life to sharing joy and left behind an 11-year-old daughter.
“Although her time with us was short, Antoinette impressed our agency with her sweet disposition, kind heart, warm smile and pride in being the voice on the other end of a cry for help,” her colleagues said on social media. “She was a loving mother, a sister, a daughter and a friend to many. Rest in peace, Antoinette. We will miss you.”
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