The woman found guilty in the 2019 hit-and-run death of a Chattanooga police officer has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
A jury found Janet Hinds, 57, guilty in September of vehicular homicide by intoxication in the death of rookie police officer Nicholas Galinger, 38. She struck him with her car on Feb. 23, 2019, while he was inspecting a manhole cover that had water flowing from it in the 2900 block of Hamill Road just after 11 p.m. Hinds fled the scene.
Before announcing the sentence during Monday’s hearing, Judge Don W. Poole said he believes Hinds has been sincere in her regret for her actions and she didn’t intend to kill anyone, but “she did intentionally drink before getting into her vehicle.”
Hinds was found guilty of vehicular homicide by intoxication in September 2021 after a 15-hour jury deliberation.
Barry Galinger teared up as he spoke about his son, who he said was happy to be working in Chattanooga.
“His children were just so proud of their daddy,” Barry Galinger said as a photo of his son and his grandchildren at Nicholas Galinger’s graduation from the police academy was presented to the court.
Hinds also had tears in her eyes, throughout the hearing and as she listened to Barry Galinger detail the impact of his son’s death on his family.
“As the patriarch, what impact has it [your son’s death] had on you and your family?” Executive Assistant District Attorney Cameron Williams asked.
“Every day, for three years, I thought about what I was going to say to [Hinds]. You have your anger days, you have your sad days, all of this could have been avoided,” Barry Galinger said. “The part that really upsets myself and my family, but I’ll speak for myself at this point, given the benefit of the doubt, that when she hit Nicholas, dead center of her car, and she didn’t stop, the next day, when her children told her what she had done, she didn’t turn herself in. Everyone was looking for her. I don’t understand why she didn’t turn herself in, it doesn’t make sense.
“If she had stopped, or if she had turned herself in, it could have been different. I met her family during the trial, they’re good people,” he said. “She should have the most strict sentence. She didn’t stop, she didn’t turn herself in.”
Poole called for a recess due to the high emotions of the testimony. As Galinger exited the court, he stood next to Hinds and shook his head before walking away, wiping tears from his face.
A character witness for Hinds, Laurie Marsh, who has known Hinds since high school, told the court that Hinds was someone she admired, describing her as extremely intelligent.
“I know Janet to be a mother, a daughter, a sister,” Marsh said. “Nobody can take away the pain from the Galingers. I’ll tell you that. [Also], no one can take away the pain that Janet has gone through. She’s a shell of the person she used to be.
“She’s not a criminal, she’s not a cop killer and to be compared to those people who killed those cops, it’s just not who she is,” Marsh said before pleading for a lesser sentence from the judge.
Given a chance to speak for herself before her sentence was handed down, Hinds apologized to the Galinger family, as well as her own.
“First I want to take this opportunity to apologize,” Hinds said between sobs. “I know this apology may be inadequate for the Galinger family. Nothing besides God will lessen the hurt that you feel, that I feel.”
Hinds went on to say that she didn’t realize she had hit anyone that night, and if she had, she would have stayed at the scene.
“No parent should ever have to outlive their children,” Hinds said. “No child should ever have to grow up without their father. For this pain, I’m so sorry to the Galingers for losing a wonderful man. I hope someday you find mercy and forgiveness.
“I’ve always prided myself on someone who respects the law,” Hinds said. “If I knew someone was there, I would have stopped, if I knew a dog was there, I would have stopped.”
Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston told the court that Hinds’ son had said she had previously driven while under the influence when he was 17 years old. Pinkston said Hinds had driven under the influence on several other occasions as he asked the court to impose the maximum possible sentence of 15 years.
Defense attorney Ben McGowan asked the court for the minimum sentence of eight years to be considered, saying the court should consider “a life of 57-odd years of no criminal conduct” prior to sentencing.
“Remorse is not only what has been shown in court, but what has been shown privately behind the scenes,” McGowan said. “We’re asking the court to consider home confinement in mitigation of this sentence.
“All I would add here is this, the defendant is before the court, she has gone to trial in this case, she has conducted herself during the course of these proceedings in a responsible way,” McGowan said. “She did turn herself in. I would ask the court to acknowledge that it’s an acceptance of responsibility. In short, we would ask for an eight-year sentence.”
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Hinds’ attorney also asked the judge that she be placed in an appropriate facility.
McGowan said a facility in Nashville would be able to deal with any acute medical complications that Hinds might experience in relation to her cardiac condition. He also asked that Hinds be allowed to turn herself in at a jail in Bledsoe County to avoid being detained at Silverdale Detention Facility.
Poole took a 10-minute recess to evaluate the case before presenting the sentence.
“Before I pronounce the judgment sentence, does anyone have anything else to say?” Poole asked. “A good man has lost his life. Nicholas Galinger was a good man, a good father, a good son and a good officer. But also, the Hinds family is a good family. It’s a sad case, it’s a tragic case, and I’m sorry that we’re all here today.
“The first thing that I will consider is the evidence presented at the trial,” Poole continued. “I consider the circumstances of the case, that Mrs. Hinds was at this restaurant in Georgia and she drank excessively.”
Poole zeroed in on the video evidence showed during the trial in which Hinds took one last drink before she got behind the wheel.
“I think evidence showed that his body was thrown in such a fashion that his head hit the vehicle and other body parts and fluids were in the vehicle,” he said. “I consider all those facts that were presented.”
Poole said he read all the character statements presented in favor of Hinds and would consider them in the sentencing, as well as those presented by the Galinger family.
He then handed down the sentence of 11 years, while also denying the defense’s request for Hinds to surrender in Bledsoe County, instead ordering that she be taken into custody immediately after the sentencing.
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.