Man gets two years in jail for killing a boy while driving under the influence

A man pleaded guilty Monday to killing a three year old boy in a 2004 car accident while driving under the influence of drugs. A judge approved a plea deal sentencing 25 year old Joshua Harris to two years in jail.

The young victim's family says the sentence is nothing more than a slap in the face to them.

"He was the most beautiful thing, and he made us smile everyday, and he still does," said Hunter's mother Melanie Bittle. Now memories are all they have left to make them smile. Three year old Hunter Bittle was killed in a car accident in May 2004. His mother was injured.

"This will never be over for us. We'll always have to relive this every single day of our lives," said Bittle.

Monday, Melanie Bittle watched as the man who pleaded guilty to taking drugs, driving and getting into an accident that killed her son was sentenced to two years in jail.

"No, I don't think it was just at all, but unfortunately the criminal justice system is just that, it's the criminal's justice system and not the victim's," said Bittle. Harris was sentenced to 13 years, but will only serve two. He will be on enhanced probation for the rest of his sentence. As part of his plea deal, Harris will serve the two years in jail instead of prison.

The assistant district attorney general handling the case said Harris' sentence would probably have been lower if he would have gone to trial.

When the judge asked Harris if he had anything to say for himself, he said no, there were no words he could say, but he is sorry. Bittle says that means nothing to her.

"No, because I don't feel like he means it. I mean he may, but I don't feel like he does," said Bittle. She calls Harris' sentence unfair, but says hopefully it will prompt change.

"If anybody can learn anything from this is to know that we're voting our public officials in here that are making these laws that allow these things to happen," said Bittle. Bittle says she is going to work on a new law so that if another family has to go through what hers has, maybe the price for the life taken will be more than two years in jail.