Nestande faces two new serious charges

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Less than a week before Gabrielle Nestande , 25, was set to go to trial on a failure to stop and render aid charge, a Travis County grand jury indicts her on two more serious charges related to the death of Courtney Griffin. 

According to Allison Wetzel, prosecutor in the case, the District Attorney's office presented evidence to the grand jury on Wednesday and the jury returned an indictment charged Nestande with intoxication manslaughter and manslaughter, both second-degree felonies.

The charge of failure to stop and render aid still stands.

Nestande's attorney, Perry Minton, was expecting to defend his client next week on one charge, not three.

"We're disappointed," said Minton. "We were ready to try this case this upcoming Monday on the [FSRA] charges that were presented. After 18 months it'll be interesting to see what the district attorney has uncovered to warrant new charges."

Nestande originally entered a plea of not guilty on Aug. 31.

"The Nestandes understand that the Griffin family is grieving over their tragic loss of their daughter, but it would be in everybody's best interest to take this case to trial -- as they were planning to do," added Minton.

Since the accident in May 2011, the Griffin family has been very vocal about harsher penalties when it comes to these types of incidents. 

A new trial date will be set at a hearing on Friday in the 299th District Court.