SANTA ANA – The defense attorney for the drunken-driver convicted of killing Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others wants the sentencing judge to show some mercy on Wednesday and give her client 15 years to life in prison instead of the maximum 51 years, eight months to life.

In a sentencing brief filed in Orange County Superior Court, Fullerton attorney Jacqueline Goodman wrote that Andrew Thomas Gallo “is not a monster” but rather an “extremely immature” young man who was the product of a broken home, was addicted to alcohol and is deeply remorseful.

But the trial prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Susan Price recommended in her sentencing brief that Gallo, who has a prior conviction for driving under the influence, receive the maximum term allowed by law.

Price suggested that Gallo receive consecutive 15-years to life terms for each of the deceased victims, and additional six years, eight months for injuring a fourth person in the alcohol-fueled, high-speed crash in Fullerton and for leaving the scene of the collision.

If Gallo receives the maximum at his scheduled sentencing by Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey on Wednesday, he may never get out of prison.

“The defendant acted selfishly when he chose to drink heavily… on the night of the collision,” Price wrote. “The defendant’s selfish actions took away three lives and ruined another forever… His actions deprived several families the opportunity to see their loved one grow up, get married, have children and to live among them.

“His conduct showed a complete disregard for the safety of others,” Price added. “A drunk driver killed three people and injured another while he was on felony probation for drunk driving. The jury found him guilty as charged. That’s the bottom line.”

But Goodman suggested “an act of mercy” and asked Toohey to merge the terms of 15-years to life on his three convictions of second-degree murder into one sentence, and also wrap in the terms for his other crimes into the same penalty.

“Andrew Gallo has demonstrated extreme remorse and sadness for the tragedy he caused, which has left an undeniable scar on his own life and the lives of his family members,” Goodman said in her brief. “Andrew Gallo never intended to kill anyone and will forever regret his actions that fateful night.”

Gallo, 24, was convicted in September of three counts of second-degree murder for the April 9, 2009, crash in Fullerton, plus two felony counts of driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury and one felony count of hit-and-run.

The crash in a Fullerton intersection occurred only hours after an Angels game in which Adenhart pitched six innings of shutout baseball. After the game, Adenhart and his friends headed to a nightclub in Fullerton in a Mitsubishi sedan.

But before they arrived, a Toyota minivan with Gallo behind the wheel slammed into the Mitsubishi as it was proceeding on a green light through the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street.

Three people in the Mitsubishi were killed, including Adenhart, 22, a right-hander who made his major league debut in 2008 and earned a spot in the Angels pitching rotation in 2009; Courtney Frances Stewart, 20, the driver of the Mitsubishi who was a former cheerleader at Cal State Fullerton, a sorority sister and a broadcast journalism major; and Henry Nigel Pearson, 25, a journalism graduate from Arizona State University, where he met Adenhart in a pickup basketball game.

A fourth person in Stewart’s car, Jon Wilhite, 24, a former baseball player at Cal State Fullerton, suffered an “internal decapitation” but survived. He is still recovering from his injuries.

Tests conducted later revealed that Gallo had a 0.22 blood-alcohol level – nearly three times the legal limit for driving in California – at the time of the crash, according to police.

Contact the writer: lwelborn@ocregister.com or 714-834-3784