• 22
  • February
    2012

We wrote recently about a proposal to toughen New York's already strict DWI laws. The proposal is starting to garner support in the media, as an editorial printed earlier today in the Utica Observer-Dispatch makes clear.

The editorial comes out solidly behind the three-strikes bill that would rescind for life a person's driving privileges after a third DWI conviction.

The so-called "Charlotte's Law" is co-sponsored by Assemblyman James Tedisco of Schenectady and Sen. Hugh Farley, also of Schenectady.

The bill would permanently revoke driving privileges after three DWI convictions, as well as revoking privileges for someone who causes a car accident resulting in injury. It would also revoke privileges for people convicted of vehicular manslaughter.

The editorial calls that bill "a good first step," but the Utica newspaper wants more.

It also comes out staunchly in favor of a bill introduced by Sen. Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. of Merrick. That legislation would put in place mandatory jail sentences for people who are convicted of DWI more than once.

That bill "adds a little meat" to the first one, the editorial writer states. Under the proposal, repeat DWI offenders would face class E or D felony charges. If convicted, a DWI offender would face up to four or seven years behind bars for driving drunk.

They could also face fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.

Judges would be allowed to sentence repeat DWI offenders to just a fine or community service, however.

Last summer, an Onondaga County judge sentenced a man there to 15 years to life in state prison following the man's ninth felony DWI conviction. At the time, the judge urged state legislators to get tougher on DWI offenders.

As the Utica newspaper notes, apparently some lawmakers are ready to do just that.

Source: UticaOD.com: "Our view: Toughen laws to keep drunks off our highways," Feb. 22, 2012