A drunk driver who ran into and killed a policeman and injured two others was released Monday on NT$100,000 bail.
On October 19, a car driven by the accused Hsiao Shu-fei (
The prosecutor on duty that day, Chen Wen-che (
Weng Hung-tsai (
Hsiao was arrested, put under detention, and charged with involuntary manslaughter last Saturday.
But Judge Liu Ping-hsin (
The ruling has reportedly dismayed prosecutors.
But practicing lawyer Wellington Koo (
"The original ruling to detain Hsiao has a lot to do with the power of public opinion," he said. "It was more an attempt to quell public outrage than a regular legal procedure."
Shih, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said yesterday that he respects the judge's decision. "Just because a person is under detention doesn't mean that the person is guilty," he said. "We hope this case serves as an example."
After the fatal crash, Hsiao tried to flee on foot with a passenger in her car.
She refused to take a breath test on the spot but was later taken to the hospital for a blood test.
The report showed that her blood alcohol content was 0.81 mg/L which is 47 percent above the legal limit of 0.55 mg/L.
In response to the accident, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
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