Las Vegas NowJudge Mosley Defends His Teen Son

Judge Mosley Defends His Teen Son

It has now been more than a week since the deadly crash that killed a Coronado High School student. Much of the story has revolved around the son of Judge Donald Mosley who was in one of the trucks said to have been street racing. Now, for the first time, the judge is speaking out and only with the Eyewitness News I-Team.

Judge Donald Mosley says the media's coverage of this case has been biased and outright wrong in many cases.

Bruised and bandaged on the outside, the result of tripping over his dogs a few nights ago, Judge Donald Mosley agreed to an interview with Eyewitness News.

"I'd like to set the record straight. It seems like a daily diet of misinformation," he said. Mosley's son is Michael Mosley, the 16-year-old who stands accused of driving under the influence in a street race. That alleged race ended up in an accident, killing 15-year-old Olivia Hyten.

Michael was driving his truck, not the one involved in the crash that was carrying Hyten. "He absolutely disputes that being a race, but I can't give you my opinion on the thing," Mosley said. Mosley said if he wasn't a judge he could speak more freely on the case.

"I think that a large part of Michael's problem is brought about by the fact that he's my son. It makes it newsworthy when judge Mosley's son is involved in something."

Michael's mother, Terry, said the judge was out of town at the time of the accident on a hunting trip. The Mosley's have been in a bitter custody dispute for years.

"I was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I met my twin brother there to settle my father's estate. My father died in August and he left a home full of accumulations over a lifetime and we were moving things."

Mosley said being in Tulsa or Las Vegas doesn't matter.

"Michael was in Henderson with his friends driving and doing whatever they were doing and if I'd been home, I probably wouldn't have known anything about it or could have controlled it."

He adds, "You can't be with your child 24 hours a day."

Yet Michael shouldn't have been driving at all. He was under strict court orders not to drive anywhere but to school or work because Michael has a history of reckless driving and tickets. Donald Mosley says his fiancee and neighbors were looking over Michael at the time.

"I took, I think, reasonable steps to see that he was cared for and observed and had contact with people while I was gone. I had contact with him every day."

Mosley doesn't know where Michael got the alcohol, but his legal team says he blew a .02, the legal limit for those under 21 and the reason he's in juvenile detention. The judge says he still believes in his son. 

"He's 16 years old. I feel he's very mature."

Still there is remorse for what happened.

"It's hard for me to imagine what those parents are going through right now," he said adding, "We need to let the law take its course."

Mosley still wants justice served for the driver behind the wheel of the truck Hyten was riding in as a passenger. He just doesn't want his son to be a target in this case because of who he is.