Santa Barbara County prosecutors issued a rare public statement critical of a sentence for a woman who pleaded no contest in a fatal DUI case.
Prosecutors say in May of 2025, Katelyn Fultz was driving on Highway 154 on San Marcos Pass when she crossed over the center line and hit another vehicle. The other driver, Carly Howard, was fatally injured, and a passenger was seriously injured.
It was determined that Fultz was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time.
She pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and two counts of DUI causing injury.
Prosecutors had sought a ten-year state prison sentence. Fultz ended up with a 270-day county jail sentence and probation with a suspended state prison term.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch called the sentence “profoundly shocking” and said it sends the wrong message about impaired driving.
