PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a girl killed by a drunk driver three decades ago is warning others. The driver who took her life continues to rack up driving under the influence charges.
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“It’s absurd to me,” explained Lisa Lingerfelt.
It’s been more than 30 years since her 11-year-old stepdaughter Jessica Angel was killed by a drunk driver on Highway 92 in Paulding County.
However, the anger is renewed for her family.
“It just makes me angry,” said Matt Angel, Jessica’s brother.
Jessica’s family is outraged at the driver, Jeffery Palmer, who spent nearly 30 years behind bars for driving drunk and killing Jessica and two family members.
Released in August, Palmer was arrested and charged twice in January for driving under the influence in Paulding County. He’s now serving six months in a plea deal after the two latest DUI charges were merged.
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“Just knowing that they combined those two DUIs into one DUI, that part really makes me mad,” said Lingerfelt.
For now, Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Hensen said Palmer will spend every day of the six-month sentence behind bars. He’s earning credit for good behavior.
“What we’re going to do is when an inmate, regardless of whether they have good time or good behavior, they’re going to serve every day that a judge sentences them to,” said Hensen.
“He will absolutely put another family through this,” said Lingerfelt in her warning to others on when Palmer is released.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Paulding County Solicitor General, Luana Nolen, who handled Palmer’s recent charges.
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Nolen said in a statement:
“My heart and prayers go out to the family who lost their loved ones back in 1995, as well as any family that loses someone in such a senseless and preventable way.
Under Georgia law, first, second, and third DUI’s within 10 years are misdemeanors punishable by up to 12 months. Those same laws state that an offender cannot serve less than 24 hours on a first DUI, 72 hours on a second DUI and 15 days on a third DUI within 10 years.
Mr. Palmer was represented by the Paulding County State Court Public Defenders Office. After spirited negotiations between his attorney and I, Mr. Palmer decided to enter a negotiated plea to serve 6 months in custody and six additional months on probation to complete the requirements of DUI sentences on March 6, 2026. His Vehicular Homicide conviction in 1996 here in Paulding County played a major role in the vast departure from minimum mandatory DUI sentences.
In addition to the six-month incarceration, Mr. Palmer was also required to complete community service, a Risk Reduction class, a drug and alcohol evaluation, random screens, an ignition interlock, license plate surrender, license suspension and fines with fees, as required in DUI sentences.
When negotiating cases, we attempt to balance punishment against what we would be able to achieve after a trial. Therefore, we always have to negotiate keeping in mind that the law does not permit the State to introduce prior convictions at trial, with few exceptions. In addition, the State is also not entitled to any amount of discovery from a Defendant in misdemeanor cases."
Palmer also has community service, random screens and his license is now suspended after he is released.
However, Jessica’s family pointed out, he was driving with a suspended license when she was killed back in 1995.
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