Victim's husband screams as 'Melrose Place' actress is sentenced
SOMERVILLE, N.J. (AP) - A former "Melrose Place" actress who was drunk when her SUV plowed into a car and killed a woman was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison, infuriating the victim's relatives, who had hoped for the 10-year maximum.
"What a travesty!" the victim's husband, Fred Seeman, yelled after the sentence was read.
"This is not justice," the victim's 26-year-old son, Ford Seeman, told the judge before he stormed out of the courtroom.
A jury in November convicted Amy Locane-Bovenizer of vehicular homicide in the 2010 death of 60-year-old Helene Seeman in Montgomery Township.
Locane-Bovenizer will be eligible for parole after 2 1/2 years and will be credited the 81 days she has already served. She also had her license suspended for five years and will be on probation for three years after her release. She must pay several thousand dollars in fines.
Locane-Bovenizer, who didn't testify at the trial, appeared in 13 episodes of TV's "Melrose Place" and in movies including "Cry-Baby," ''School Ties" and "Secretary."
Prosecutors say she was driving with a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit when her SUV slammed into a Mercury Milan driven by Fred Seeman as he was turning into his driveway. Fred Seeman's wife, Helene, was killed, and he was seriously injured.
During the trial, the defense argued that Fred Seeman was making a slow turn, which contributed to the crash. They maintained that it was an accident, not a crime.
The defense also shifted blame to a third motorist who they say distracted the actress by honking at her and chasing her after being rear-ended. They said the chase led Locane-Bovenizer to drive 20 miles over the speed limit on a dark two-lane road.
The judge lowered the maximum sentence citing the hardship on Locane-Bovenizer's two young children. One has a serious medical and mental disability. The defense went into detail about how her sick child was deteriorating physically and psychologically since the actress' incarceration and about how a prolonged sentence would make it worse.
"I'm just glad her little girls will have their mother back soon," Locane-Bovenizer's mother, Helen Locane, said as she walked out of the courtroom.
In an emotionally charged statement, Fred Seeman told the court that the defense contention that his vehicle was turning slowly added "salt on the wound," and he said he was appalled that Locane-Bovenizer took no responsibility for killing his wife.
The actress, in turn, apologized to Seeman's family and said she did take full responsibility.
"I am truly sorry for all of the pain I have caused," she said, struggling to get through her statement, as she looked toward the family that packed one side of the courtroom while her friends and family packed the other. "My own suffering will never go away."
Judge Robert Reed said that he had no sympathy for the actress but that the children should not suffer even more because of her actions.
The Seeman family said after the sentencing that the decision was a "mockery" and only added to the suffering they've endured since the accident.
"What's one more punch in the gut?" Ford Seeman said.
"What a travesty!" the victim's husband, Fred Seeman, yelled after the sentence was read.
"This is not justice," the victim's 26-year-old son, Ford Seeman, told the judge before he stormed out of the courtroom.
A jury in November convicted Amy Locane-Bovenizer of vehicular homicide in the 2010 death of 60-year-old Helene Seeman in Montgomery Township.
Locane-Bovenizer will be eligible for parole after 2 1/2 years and will be credited the 81 days she has already served. She also had her license suspended for five years and will be on probation for three years after her release. She must pay several thousand dollars in fines.
Locane-Bovenizer, who didn't testify at the trial, appeared in 13 episodes of TV's "Melrose Place" and in movies including "Cry-Baby," ''School Ties" and "Secretary."
Prosecutors say she was driving with a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit when her SUV slammed into a Mercury Milan driven by Fred Seeman as he was turning into his driveway. Fred Seeman's wife, Helene, was killed, and he was seriously injured.
During the trial, the defense argued that Fred Seeman was making a slow turn, which contributed to the crash. They maintained that it was an accident, not a crime.
The defense also shifted blame to a third motorist who they say distracted the actress by honking at her and chasing her after being rear-ended. They said the chase led Locane-Bovenizer to drive 20 miles over the speed limit on a dark two-lane road.
The judge lowered the maximum sentence citing the hardship on Locane-Bovenizer's two young children. One has a serious medical and mental disability. The defense went into detail about how her sick child was deteriorating physically and psychologically since the actress' incarceration and about how a prolonged sentence would make it worse.
"I'm just glad her little girls will have their mother back soon," Locane-Bovenizer's mother, Helen Locane, said as she walked out of the courtroom.
In an emotionally charged statement, Fred Seeman told the court that the defense contention that his vehicle was turning slowly added "salt on the wound," and he said he was appalled that Locane-Bovenizer took no responsibility for killing his wife.
The actress, in turn, apologized to Seeman's family and said she did take full responsibility.
"I am truly sorry for all of the pain I have caused," she said, struggling to get through her statement, as she looked toward the family that packed one side of the courtroom while her friends and family packed the other. "My own suffering will never go away."
Judge Robert Reed said that he had no sympathy for the actress but that the children should not suffer even more because of her actions.
The Seeman family said after the sentencing that the decision was a "mockery" and only added to the suffering they've endured since the accident.
"What's one more punch in the gut?" Ford Seeman said.
Fancy Jack...I am your biggest fan. You seem to be grounded in reality, finely educated and express yourself beautifully!Â
That woman was loved so much, I feel bad for their loss & also hers.
Still haven't read your posts FJ-- and I never will. (Ha ha LOSER!!) Please posters skip over Fancy Jack's posts- do not let his words even enter your head!Â
@LifeisGOOD007Â You do realize you are making yourself look fairly idiotic, right?
Ahh I see Fancy Jack has replied hahahaha! YET I will NOT read it! Ha Ha tool!
@LifeisGOOD007Â I can lead a horse to water.
I have made a solemn oath to myself that when I see Fancy Jack's post I will simple skip over it and NOT even read them. Life is too short to be wasted on his incendiary dribble.Â
@LifeisGOOD007 Truth can be an ugly thing, you can hide from it and live in darkness or pursue it and live in the light. I have never exploited someone elses misery for my own self gratification like many routinely do on this forum, you are right, life is too short to waste revelling in others misery.
mountain man and Wild Tangent  why do you reply to Fancy Jack-- just stop! He(or she) is just a lonely person with no one in his real life to talk to so he gets on line and just says horrible things to get normal posters riled up. Stop engaging with him!! He is a pathetic man. IGNORE!Â
@LifeisGOOD007 Your stereotype may give you comfort, but is is wrong, what I have experienced in life is that those who express the greatest anger see the truth in what I say and understand the relationship of that truth and their actions, they were content to remain oblivious to their hypocricy, once it was exposed, they, then were frustrated with being superficial and realized they need to change their behavior, some anyway.
Fancyjack= Idiot. Hope her husband sues her for everything she has left, mentally disabled child probably because of her being drunk during conception!
@mountain man Good Sir, I would engage you in sagacious debate, but I doubt your intellectual foundation.
My heart breaks for this man and his family. You can see the anguish on his face.Â
Fancy Jack, once again your complete and utter lack of compassion is shown. Why do you think comments like yours are necessary? Yeah, yeah, I know. You have the right to say anything you want, no matter how insensitive it is.
@WildTangent Emotional folks seldom have any clarity of thought, The grief demonstrated here borders on pathological, they should seek treatment. It is clear that as a species we are getting weaker. I am never impressed with the vicarious exploitation of anothers grief by those compelled to sanctimoniously extend their empathy, while never making more than a passing emotional investment into the victims actual misery. I am content to let the dead bury their own dead, there is work to be done, lamenting what should have been serves no purpose, so, wipe your eyes, get a perspective and move along, we are all dead soon enough...
@Fancy Jack Apparently you have never loved someone as this man loved his wife. I pity you.Â
@WildTangent @Fancy Jack I have been married 40 years to the same woman, I love her dearly, I will have her replacement at her wake.
Hey look: Hollywood actors and actressess that don't believe personal responsibility is necessary for them nor their families.  Big surprise! Â
Some people confuse rights with privilege. Some people don't know or understand the law. Some people are internet trolls with miniature junk.Â
the judge should be HORSEWHIPPED Â !!
here's hoping she NEVER MAKES IT OUT OF JAIL ALIVE !!!
Drunks have a right to use the highway, you have the responsibility to except the risks of the Highway, if you do not want to be killed by a drunk driver, stay off the highway.
@Fancy Jack accept* the word you used has a different meaning..
@Violet @Fancy Jack Agreed
A perfect example of "White Privilege"!! This is a travesty of justice. Can you imagine an (un-famous) black man getting only 3 years for this same despicable crime? Justice shouldn't see color, race, gender, or popularity. What was this judge thinking?Â
So the suffering of the victims to be without wife and mother for the rest of their lives is lower than the suffering of this killer actresses children ~she should never get to see her children again...WOW!!!
On the bright side, (depending on how you look at it) this actress will get a ton of work when she gets out of prison! This is the way our society is wired, we shower actors, actresses, and sports figures with jobs, money and lots of positive media attention when they do wrong!
Don't blame them, blame yourselves! Go get'em you depraved individuals...