A new bill sponsored by Senator John C. Rafferty, Jr. (R-44) will increase the penalties for many DUI offenders if passed into law.  The state senate has passed this legislation by a margin of (47-4).

Summary of the Proposed Bill

The bill proposes a number of changes, including:

• Creating a felony grading for people convicted of a third DUI at the highest tier (BAC over 0.16%, and controlled substances) as well as for those convicted of their fourth DUI, regardless of the tier.
• Increasing the mandatory minimum prison sentence for someone who causes a death as a result of a DUI.   The bill increases imprisonment to five years if the person has one prior offense and seven years if the offender has two or more prior DUIs.
• Increasing penalties for repeat offenders who are not properly licensed or under suspension.  The current penalty is a fine of $500 and imprisonment of 60 to 90 days.  The legislation would increase this penalty on a second offense to a fine of $1,000 and imprisonment of at least 90 days.  A third or subsequent offense would result in a fine of $2,500 and at least six months in jail.
• Prohibiting the adult driver required to accompany a person driving on a learners permit from being impaired.

If you are a repeat DUI offender, you should immediately call a qualified DUI attorney to discuss your options at 1-866-MCSHANE.

Justin McShane

PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.