[Nick Koan]

Bump for him getting the maximum sentence. Life with possible parole after 36 years.

http://news.rgj.com//apps/pbcs.dll/a...EWS18/80208031

Saying that Darren Mack showed no remorse for the stabbing death of his estranged wife, Charla, or the pain caused by shooting divorce judge Chuck Weller, Judge Douglas Herndon sentenced Mack to the maximum prison term allowable by law: life with parole possible after 36 years.

“Despite all the time I gave him to speak yesterday, he never said ‘I’m sorry,’” Herndon said. “He never said ‘I’m sorry Charla Mack is dead,’ or ‘I’m sorry I shot the judge,’ or ‘I’m sorry for these acts.’” “It led me to the conclusion that you are not sorry,” Herndon told Mack. “You have not expressed remorse for your culpability. That’s a dangerous thing, to not be able to express remorse. “That type of attitude deserves the maximum punishment.”

Under the order, Mack must serve a life term for the murder, with parole possible after 20 years, Herndon said. Mack also must serve 20 years with parole possible after eight for the attempted murder charge and a consecutive duplicate sentence for the deadly weapons enhancement.

Herndon ordered the murder and attempted murder sentences to run consecutively. Mack will be 83 before he makes his first appearance before the parole board. Charla Mack’s mother, Soorya Townley, who hugged Weller after the sentence, said she was relieved. “I’m just so glad this is over so we can move on,” she said. Special Prosecutor Christopher Lalli said he was not surprised with the judge’s decision. “His logic and approach was exactly my logic and approach to what had been done: It was a violent and direct challenge to the judiciary,” Lalli said, adding that Mack failed to give an explanation for the shooting of Weller and did not show remorse for Charla’s death.

Mack’s family said they also were not surprised, and are set to take the case to the Nevada Supreme Court.
“We prepared ourselves that that’s what was going to happen,” said Mack’s 19-year-old son, Jory Mack. “It was about the judge shooting — he was willing to put an innocent man in prison rather than risk another judge shooting.”
Mack lawyer William Routsis said he is ready to continue the fight.

“The truth of this case is this was not first-degree murder,” Routsis said. “This case will define the community when the truth comes out.”