Novato Man on Trial for Attempted Murder in Hit-Run

By Merylee Robbins

Published on August 24, 2005

On the day of the incident, after an argument that morning between Romaine and Smith, Romaine was driving through Marin with his sister, Smith's girlfriend, when he spotted Smith at a crosswalk. As Smith crossed the street, Romaine accelerated his car, aiming to hit Smith. Romaine struck Smith with his Pontiac Bonneville, causing serious bodily harm that included a traumatic brain injury and several fractured and broken bones through out his body, including his spine.

The defense claims that Smith had physically abused Romaine's sister Lauren and threatened violence upon the rest of the family previous to the incident, thus Romaine was acting as a protector of his family when he ran over Smith. However, Lauren Romaine discredited this claim when she testified under oath that Smith was neither threatening, nor violent to her, her bother, or any other member of their family at any point in time prior to the tragic confrontation. Although he could recall little of the incident, Curtis Smith testified similarly, denying the accusation that he was threatening or violent. No conclusion has been reached yet in the trial, as testimony continues in Marin Superior Court.

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