Legal expert explains the implications The Crash doc may have on Mackenzie Shirilla’s parole

The Crash documentary looks at the case of Mackenzie Shirilla, who was sentenced to 15 years to life after being found guilty of killing her boyfriend and her friend in a high speed crash.

17-year-old Mackenzie drove her car into a brick wall at 100 mph back in 2022. She was convicted on 12 counts, including murder, and sentenced to 15 years to life. She is not eligible for parole until 2037.

The series goes back over the fatal crash in Ohio which killed her partner Dominic Russo, and Davion Flanagan. However, a legal expert has since commented on how the documentary may affect her future.

Claiming she has no memory of the crash, Mackenzie chose to have a bench trial, meaning there was no jury and it was up to a judge alone to decide her fate.

The Crash documentary might actually impact Mackenzie’s chances with parole

via Netflix

Despite its huge success on Netflix, a legal expert has explained The Crash might have implications on Mackenzie’s future.

NBC legal analyst Misty Mera explained how the details outlined in the show may affect her chances when she eventually faces the parole board.

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Speaking to Access Hollywood, she said: “There are all sorts of different factors that come into play, statements and petitions can be sent to the parole board to take into consideration. So everything we saw in this documentary could be a central part of the parole process.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Mackenzie’s parole could be affected: Her legal team has previously made two appeals for parole, both of which have been denied.

Mackenzie’s legal team filed an initial appeal on September 25th 2023, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support her convictions and that several clerical errors occurred during the trial. However, that appeal was rejected.

A second attempt was also dismissed, this time due to a procedural issue. Under Ohio law, defendants have 365 days from the date the trial transcript is filed with the court of appeals to submit an appeal. In Mackenzie’s case, her legal team filed the petition on the 366th day – one day past the deadline.

The court ruled that because the filing was late, it did not have jurisdiction to consider the arguments, and that the deadline could not be extended: “Because the appellant filed the petition on the 366th day following the filing of the trial transcript, the trial court was without jurisdiction to consider the merits of the claims, and the application of equitable tolling is prohibited in the context of this jurisdictional bar.”

Her lawyers also argued that she should be granted an additional day because 2024 was a leap year, but the Eighth District Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the dismissal.

The Crash is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Featured image via Netflix