Courts

Woman Claiming To Be Harry Potter Kills Federal Judge In Hit-And-Run Crash

The woman was allegedly intoxicated by bath salts at the time of the crash.

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(Image via Getty)

We have some unfortunate news to report out of Boca Raton, Florida, where Judge Sandra Feuerstein of the Eastern District of New York, who was visiting the area, was killed after a woman who was driving erratically swerved her car onto the sidewalk, fatally striking the judge. A young boy was also injured.

Nastasia Snape, 23, has been charged with vehicular homicide and other felonies for the crash, and remains jailed on $60,000 bond. The Associated Press has additional details:

According to court records, witnesses told Boca Raton police the Snape was driving erratically, going around stopped traffic, on a busy road when she drove onto the sidewalk and struck Feuerstein. Snape then drove back onto the roadway, striking the boy in a crosswalk.

Police say Snape then fled into neighboring Delray Beach, where she crashed. A Delray police officer said Snape appeared to be having convulsions, but was able to get out of the car. She stared into space and would only say she was OK.

Police say that in the ambulance, Snape began screaming and fighting with medics while yelling she is Harry Potter. The medics drugged her. Police say they found in her purse the synthetic drug commonly known as “bath salts,” which can cause psychotic episodes.

Feuerstein, a 1979 graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003. Her “eccentric style and warm personality lit up the courtroom,” said Eugene Corcoran, the Eastern District’s executive. “She will be missed by her colleagues and litigants alike.” Mark Lesko, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, tweeted, “As we mourn her tragic death, we also remember Judge Feuerstein’s unwavering commitment to justice and service to the people of our district and our nation.”

We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to Judge Sandra Feuerstein’s family, friends, and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.

Hit-and-run crash in Florida kills New York federal judge [Associated Press]

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Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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