The charges of murder and assault levied against Kentucky citizen Holly Britz could be resolved in a mediation room instead of a court room.  Britz was charged with murder when she crashed her car into oncoming traffic while under the influence of several prescription medications including Xanax and Oxycodone and killing Britta Richmond and injuring another passenger in the struck car.

In Felony Mediation, a retired judge or senior status judge is assigned to hear evidence from all parties and to attempt to guide them to a mutually satisfactory agreement.  It is frequently employed in “gray area” prosecutions such as Britz’s.  Britz maintains that this was truly an accident that she was not aware of the interactions of her medications and that therefore the charge of murder is too stringent.

If a resolution cannot be reached in mediation, the trail remains on the court’s calendar and is scheduled to begin on May 19^th.  Any negotiated resolution would have to be submitted to the Circuit Court for approval; if it fails to gain this approval, the trial would also go on as scheduled despite the agreement.

Britz was involved in a later accident while driving under the influence and will face a separate court date for that incident.  No one was injured in the second accident.