The Fifth District Court of Appeal of Florida upheld the conviction of WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch in connection with her November 2023 sentencing. Sytch was sentenced to prison for one count of DUI manslaughter (a third-degree felony), one count of causing death while operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked license (also a third-degree felony), four counts of DUI causing injury to a person, and three counts of DUI causing property damage.
Sytch appealed her conviction, but the court issued a “Per Curiam Affirmed” ruling, meaning the trial court’s decision was upheld without an accompanying written opinion. Notably, Sytch’s court-appointed attorney withdrew from the case, citing the appeal as lacking arguable merit. The court’s December 2 order allowed Sytch an opportunity to file a legal brief if she believed there were remaining issues to argue. However, court records show that no such filing has occurred to date.
At her sentencing, Sytch pled no contest and asked for forgiveness. The incident leading to her conviction occurred in March 2022 when she caused a fatal DUI crash that claimed the life of Julian Lasseter. At the time of the crash, Sytch had an open bottle of vodka in her vehicle, cannabis in her system, and no valid driver’s license. She had a history of prior arrests related to auto incidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
During her sentencing, Sytch apologized to the Lasseter family, expressing deep remorse and stating that she wished she could trade places with the victim. In a subsequent interview with TMZ, she described the crash as a “terrible accident.”
Sytch is currently incarcerated with the Florida Department of Corrections and is scheduled for release on September 23, 2039. After her sentencing on November 28, 2023, she was transferred from Volusia County Corrections to a facility in Ocala, Florida. Her sentence includes 17 years of imprisonment followed by 8 years of probation.
A civil lawsuit filed by Julian Lasseter’s estate is set to proceed on March 25, 2025.
(H/T: PWInsider.com)
