Legislation To Toughen Penalties For Repeat DWI Offenders Passes House

Committee Unanimously
Santa Fe, NM Legislation that cracks down on drunken drivers by creating
harsher penalties for repeat offenders passed the House Safety and Civil Affairs
Committee by a unanimous vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes,
will increase prison sentences for repeat offenders fourth and subsequent offenses.
We need to do whatever we can to stop repeat offenders from drunken driving,
Maestas Barnes said. This law will keep drunken drivers off the road and protect
our families.
If the legislation becomes law, a fourth DWI conviction would increase imprisonment
from 18 months to 30 months. In addition, 24 months of that sentence cannot be
suspended, deferred or taken under advisement. A fifth conviction would increase
the sentence from two years to three years. Repeat offenses following the fifth
conviction continue to get harsher.
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