Standing in a Lucas County courtroom Wednesday, Susan French told the drunken driver who killed her husband she was praying for him and his family.

She told Common Pleas Judge Gene Zmuda she hoped he would give Justin Cline the maximum sentence for taking the life of Anthony French, a former Toledo police officer whom she had loved since high school and was her husband for almost 34 years.

“Your honor, it feels like someone — Justin — took a vacuum up to my heart and sucked the life right out of it,” Mrs. French said. “Nothing can ever fill that empty space. But with prayer and forgiving Justin, that space has shrunk and is getting smaller, but it doesn’t go away.”

Cline, 27, of the 1700 block of Heatherdowns Boulevard pleaded no contest Jan. 27 to aggravated vehicular homicide for causing the July 22 death of Mr. French, 53, of Swanton. Judge Zmuda sentenced him to six years in prison — two years short of the maximum — and suspended his driver’s license for life.

The judge told Cline he was fortunate the victim’s wife had shown such strength and compassion, considering he was both intoxicated and under the influence of drugs when he got behind the wheel and killed her husband.

Cline also was driving on a suspended license at the time, the judge said, and “had no business driving.”

“I looked at your record. It really is out of control,” Judge Zmuda said. “You’ve danced on that edge of the knife for too long, and you know it.”

Cline was southbound on Garden Road just before 11 p.m. July 22 when he failed to stop for a stop sign at Airport Highway and struck Mr. French’s eastbound vehicle.

Cline told the court that he wished he could change what had happened.

“I’m deeply sorry, and I accept whatever penalty the court imposes,” he said.

Mrs. French said her husband and father of their two sons served 10 years active duty with the Air Force before joining the Toledo Police Department in 1992. He was forced to retire in 2011 because of injuries from an auto accident, but later went to work for the Veterans’ Administration.

“He was hoping to make a difference in veterans’ lives,” she said. “You see, your Honor, Tony was full of life. He touched everyone’s life whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. He left a profound impact on people. He brought so much laughter and joy to the people he met.”

Judge Zmuda challenged Cline to take advantage of programming in prison to come out a better person.

“You’ve been given a gift: you survived,” the judge said. “Demonstrate the value of that gift.”

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.

First Published February 23, 2017, 5:00 a.m.