Plea hearing rescheduled for man accused of deadly Matlacha DUI crash

The plea hearing for the man accused of a drunk driving crash that killed a Matlacha woman has been rescheduled.

Cody Curtis appeared in court on Thursday at 9:14 a.m.

His attorney said that, given the complexity of the case, he did not feel comfortable doing a plea deal this early.

In April, a grandmother was killed while enjoying the day outside at That BBQ Place in Matlacha, right on Pine Island Road.

Investigators said Curtis was behind the wheel and plowed into the patio of the restaurant.

Last month, Curtis was in court, and it was the first time we heard him recognize what he had done and show remorse.

“This is a very serious case,” said Curtis, “and I know what I did was wrong, but I want someone who will fight for me, not against me.”

For months, Curtis has been in and out of court. The last time was on Nov. 25, in hopes of getting rid of his attorney.

In a letter to the judge, Curtis wrote, “I heard him utter under his breath that all DUI manslaughter cases deserve to rot in prison.”

But his attorney, Robert Hines, denied that and said he did not want to go to trial.

At that hearing last month, the judge ruled that Curtis will not get new counsel, but he ended up getting a new one after his attorney filed to withdraw from Curtis’ case.

Many called the woman who tragically died when the suspected drunk driver struck her a Matlacha queen.

Sharp’s family said they hope justice is served and served right for their Mary Lou.

“With the charges, he is facing close to a life sentence, and it wouldn’t hurt me if he stayed there the rest of his life,” said Kasha Darna, Mary Lou’s granddaughter. “I hope there’s no chance for him ever to drive again.”

Curtis’s next court date is scheduled for Jan. 14 at 1:30 p.m.