A career DUI offender was sentenced to a 20-year prison term and will be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent of his sentence. The family of the man that was killed are unsatisfied, as reported by 6 News, as this is the defendant's sixth DUI conviction, and are working to enact changes in the law.
S.S. pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in a plea agreement. He will face a parole board in less than six years.
The family of the deceased, B.W., are concerned that if S.S. was granted parole there is nothing to stop him for drinking and driving again. They have been in contact with lawmakers in an effort to enact a new law that will allow a judge to hand down a prison sentence case by case and based on their own discretion.
Darren Berg, the attorney representing the family, states that lawmakers will be introducing the new bill in the next legislative session.
The family clung to each other during the court proceedings according to reporters. B.W.'s widow commented as to her loss, "Life will never be anywhere near normal and it will start back over again for us six years we will keep reliving this...on a quiet Friday night I think I would have been with (B.W.) he was just super special."
Along with B.W.'s death six other people were injured in the DUI.
S.S. had both crack cocaine and Xanax in his system.
S.S. is considered a range one standard offender, according to the law, though he now has six DUI convictions. The family would like the laws to be more forceful – and not allow S.S. parole until he serves more than the six-year minimum.
B.W.'s widow added, "This gentleman has demonstrated a clear deliberate indifference to human life and if you're going to let him out in six years it's going to happen again."
The new law would require repeat drunk driving offenders convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide to serve more time before being considered for parole back into the community.
B.W.'s widow said that the new law would give a judge "the opportunity to say it's a 20 year sentence and you have to serve a majority of that before we are even going to discuss letting you out."
Berg said that S.S. behaved in a way that showed a deliberate indifference to human life. The family believes that S.S.'s actions were closer to a second degree murder charge, and in those convictions a defendant serves 80 percent, not 30 percent, of their time before going in front of a parole board.
One of the injured was B.W's seven year-old son; the child remains in rehab, as he is unable to walk but remains hopeful.
Whatever the case is against you for DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI, contact a DUI attorney for help. Plea agreements are just one phase of what you will need to evaluate with your attorney.