I am sure that you’ve noticed that society’s acceptance of drinking and driving has dropped dramatically over the last decade. A series of laws have been enacted to deter and punish such behavior. This trend continued this month when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law which does, among others, the following:
- Eliminates loophole that allowed those convicted of DWIs to avoid installing an ignition interlock device.
- Increases license suspension from 6 months to a year for those who fail to install the device.
- Makes driving while intoxicated with a conditional license a felony (conditional licenses are given to convicted drunk drivers to drive to and from work)
These measures strengthen the legislation known as Leandra’s Law. Leandra’s Law makes it a felony to drive while intoxicated with a child in the car.
Tough laws are one component of the societal change. Another is the criminal justice’s tolerance of transgressors. Prosecutors are much less lenient when it comes to resolving such cases. Therefore, plea deals are much less favorable than in year’s past.
BOTTOM LINE: DO NOT DRINK AND DRINK!! NEVER!!
