A Maricopa County Superior Court judge recused himself from a second-degree murder case Friday, just before sentencing.
Vincent Acosta pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the deaths of three Grand Canyon University students: Magdalyn Ogden, 18; Abriauna Hoffman, 18; and Hunter Balberdi, 19. In October 2022, Acosta, allegedly under the influence, drove the wrong way on I-17 and collided with the students’ vehicle, killing all three.
Family and friends of the victims filled the courtroom, but the hearing lasted less than three minutes when the judge announced her denial without explanation.
In August, the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office reached an agreement with Acosta in which he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder.
Under the plea agreement, each charge of second-degree murder carries a possible prison sentence of 18 to 22 years.
Earlier this week, it became clear that Maricopa Superior Court Judge Pamela Dunne planned to recuse herself from Friday’s scheduled sentencing after the victims’ families were notified that the sentencing might be postponed.
“The court must revoke the case and appoint a new judge. The court apologizes to everyone on both sides who traveled here today for this, and given the legal nature of this, because this court will no longer be acting in this case I do not think this is an appropriate form for comment, because this court will not hear his case at this time,” Dunne said Friday.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa judge recuses himself in sentencing in GCU fatal crash case
