On Wednesday, March 1, the Franklin County Circuit Courtroom had a row of friends and family members of Jenni Fasbinder packed into the seating area seeking some kind of justice for their loved one. 

Almost two years ago, on July 07, 2021, Fasbinder lost her life when a  Chevrolet Silverado driven by Brookville resident Joshua Trammell crossed left-of-center into the opposite travel lane, causing a head-on collision with Fasbinder. Franklin County Sheriff's Department Deputy Jason Lovins was first on the scene and found two hypodermic needles among the debris of the Silverado. Trammell was transferred to the hospital by deputies to get a blood sample for a toxicology analysis. The results of the toxicology report determined the presence of both amphetamine and methamphetamine in Trammell's sample.

Subsequently, the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office filed the following charges:

 •Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Sched. I or II Controlled Sub (F4)
•Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated(F4)
•Reckless Homicide def. recklessly kills another human being (F5)
•Possession of a Syringe (F6)
•Habitual Offender

Initially, Trammell submitted a plea of "not guilty" but ultimately pled guilty to Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle with a controlled substance and Habitual Offender and faced a maximum sentence of 32 years.

At the sentencing hearing, Fasbinder's sister gave an impact statement on behalf of the family. She shared all the qualities those closest to Jenni loved the most about her as she asked for the maximum sentence. She acknowledged because of Trammell's actions, Fasbinder's son had to lose his mother before his 20th birthday, and stated, "No matter what the sentence, it won't bring Jenni back.” Josh Trammell also read a letter to the family to show his remorse, stating he couldn't apologize enough to the family or community and asked for their forgiveness.

After weighing all aggravating and mitigating factors, Judge Cox felt with Trammell's lengthy criminal history,  probation was a waste of time and resources. Cox pointed out the first time he saw Trammell on his court docket was in 1995 and has continued to see him appear on dockets for almost 30 years.

Ultimately Cox felt Trammell deserved the maximum sentence on both counts; 12 years for the level four felony and 20 years for the habitual offender sentencing enhancement. Before rendering the sentence, Cox said to Trammell, "At some point, it becomes apparent that some people are a danger to live in our community, and you are one of them.”

After the hearing, Huerkamp shared what his thoughts were going into the sentencing hearing. "I expected that Jenni's sister would honor her legacy with a tremendous victim impact statement, and that Judge Cox would take all the relevant circumstances into account and pronounce a sentence that he deemed appropriate based on the facts before him and the law. My expectations were met on both counts. Huerkamp also acknowledged the long painful process seeking justice can be."I would first like to thank Jenni's family for the grace and patience that they have shown throughout a long and often painful process. I also must acknowledge the incredible job done by the police and investigative agencies who worked together to make this prosecution possible: the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, in particular Deputies Jason Lovins and Jeremy Noah; the Indiana State Police Reconstruction team, in particular Troopers Andrew Garrett and Matt Holley; Franklin County Coroner Brian Baxter and his deputy; the Hamilton County (Ohio) Coroner's Office, in particular Dr. Dorothy Dean; the Indiana Department of Toxicology; Franklin County EMS, and the several civilian witnesses who came upon the aftermath of the crash and were not only prepared to testify at a trial if necessary, but also tried desperately to save Jenni's life at the scene. 

Thanks to all of these folks, I hope my office was able to do its part in delivering justice for this tragic loss of innocent life that affected not only Jenni's family, but the community at large."