Lee was driving a 1996 Toyota on June 10, 2006. As he headed up the Snelling Avenue exit ramp off eastbound Interstate 94, the car accelerated, sideswiping at least two other cars before rear-ending another. Javis Adams Sr., 33, and his son, Javis Adams Jr., 9, died at the scene. Devyn Bolton was left a quadriplegic and died at age 7 shortly after Lee's trial. • Lee's pregnant wife, his 4-year-old daughter, his brother and his father were in his car. They were not injured.

Lee maintained that he tried frantically to stop the car, but the brakes didn't work. He was convicted of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm. He got eight years.

The appeal process began when questions arose about whether the massive Toyota recall might apply. Lee's '96 Camry was not part of any recall, but others with identical or similar vehicles have experienced sudden unintended acceleration.

Lee now has four children, ages, 8, 5, 3 and 2. The youngest two don't know their father and have shied away from him the few times they visited him at the Lino Lakes prison.