Thompson was 16 at the time of his arrest for DUI manslaughter. He later pled guilty based on a plea bargain capping incarceration at 12 years, though he still could ask the judge for a lower sentence. When the judge imposed the full 12 years, Thompson appealed. The Fourth District found that Thompson had not preserved any errors for appeal, in part due to his guilty plea, but certified the case to the Florida Supreme Court.