Judge stuns court with ultra-light sentence for speeder who killed boy, 17, as victim's dad brands punishment 'trash' and defense attorney says he can't believe how lenient it was

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:04, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 21:14, 23 July 2026 A Las Vegas judge sparked fury after allowing a speeding driver who killed a teenage boy in a horror collision to avoid prison time.  Nevada's Eighth Judicial District Judge Jennifer Schwartz gave Jesus Barraza, 21, a sentence of probation this week, drawing intense scrutiny from the victim's family.  Barraza was found guilty in June of reckless driving resulting in death over a March 2024 crash that killed Devin Heath, 17, with jurors reaching a verdict after less than an hour of deliberations.  Following sentencing, Heath's father Raymond vented at the judge and branded the ruling 'trash,' reports the Las Vegas Review Journal. Heath, an aspiring firefighter who was just weeks away from his high school graduation, was fatally struck by Barraza's Chevrolet Silverado as he crossed the road late at night.  Footage showed the teenager trying to jump out of the way of Barraza,  before he was hit by the speeding vehicle, which prosecutors said was travelling at 73mph in a 30mph zone.  Heath's father said he has been left heartbroken by Schwartz's sentencing, saying: 'I don't feel like justice was served.' 'Let’s all go out and run people over and kill them and just get probation,' he fumed. 'Let’s make Las Vegas as dangerous as possible, because nothing’s going to happen.' Jesus Barraza, 21, avoided jail time and was handed only probation after being found guilty of reckless driving resulting in the death of a 17-year-old in a collision in March 2024  Devin Heath, 17, was fatally struck by Barraza while crossing the road in Las Vegas. The driver was traveling 73mph in a 30mph zone Barraza was handed a suspended sentence of 28 to 72 months. His probation conditions include a curfew, restitution, mandated employment and taking driver's safety classes.  Barraza will also have to complete 100 hours of community service, with Schwartz saying she showed him mercy because he was just 19 when he killed Heath.  'You are a child and you killed a child and I know it wasn’t intentional,' the judge said to Barraza, who is now 21. 'This is your one shot.'  Even Barraza's own defense attorney, Philip Singer, said after the sentencing hearing that he was 'shocked' at the light punishment.  'I know Judge Schwartz is fair and fair to the defense, but I thought with an election year being in the wind and the devastation that the family expressed, I thought his living a perfect life was going to go out the window, but thank goodness it didn’t,' Singer said.   Schwartz's lenient sentence was also condemned by prosecutors who worked on the case, who said they were stunned that Barraza was not handed any prison time at all. Deputy District Attorney Corey Hallquist said after the sentencing hearing: 'The message that was sent is that you can go and drive recklessly on the road here in the valley, go over double the speed limit, you can take a young child’s life and you can get probation.'  Nevada District Judge Jennifer Schwartz sparked backlash after handing down the lenient ruling to Barraza, telling the driver: 'I know it wasn’t intentional'  Heath's father Raymond told the judge that he has been left bereft since the death of his son, and said he sits in Devin's bedroom every day and talks to him like he is still there because 'it's the only place where I can still feel even the smallest piece of his presence'  Chief Deputy District Attorney Chad Lexis added that the sentence was 'disheartening and shocking.'  'Unfortunately, the Judge believed that this case was deserving of probation,' Lexis said.  'The victim’s family and the prosecution are extremely disappointed with the sentence.'  Deputy District Attorney Afan Tarar had urged the judge to give Barraza prison time because he was traveling at over double the 30mph speed limit when he hit Heath.  'His speed was going up the whole time until he finally collided with the victim,' he said in closing arguments.  Singer argued that the driver braked before hitting Heath, but prosecutors countered that he only hit the brakes after the teenager was hit.  Singer insisted Barraza was remorseful and said 'prison would result in him losing his house, losing his job, losing everything.'  In an emotional statement to the court, Barraza said he was devastated by the crash, saying to Heath's family: 'I do not expect your forgiveness and I have no right to ask it.' 'I want you to know that I wake up every day with the weight of what I have done and will carry that for the rest of my life,' he said in the statement.  Heath's father branded the sentence 'trash' and said: 'I don't feel like justice was served'  Heath was an aspiring firefighter who was just weeks away from his high school graduation when he was tragically killed  Heath's family said they are devastated by the sentencing  Heath's father Raymond told the judge that he has been left bereft since the death of his son, and said he sits in Devin's bedroom every day and talks to him like he is still there.  He said he has not been able to bring himself to clean or change the room since the day of the crash, as 'its the only place where I can still feel even the smallest piece of his presence.' 'Devin changed my life and I don’t know if he ever realized it,' he said. 'He made me grow up. He gave me purpose. He gave me a reason to become a better man than I’d ever been.'  The Daily Mail has contacted Department XVII of the Eighth Judicial District Court, the law clerk for Schwartz, for comment.