New Kansas Law calls for Stronger Penalties

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

The governor of Kansas signed a new DUI law to strengthen their existing penalties. The state will form a task force called the “Kansas DUI Commission.” The objective of this group is to review existing laws, compare them to others, and suggest improvements.

The signing of the bill came 6 months after Claudia Mijares and Gisele (her 4-year-old daughter) were killed by a driver under the influence of alcohol. The sad part is that they were just crossing the street to Wichita school when it happened.

It was shocking to find out that the driver, Gary Hammitt, already had 4 DUI convictions but he still possessed a valid driver’s license. Now, he was sentenced to almost 40 years in prison when he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder (2 counts).

The state’s Substance Abuse Policy Board admitted that the DUI laws of Kansas were so dysfunctional and complex – in fact, the system truly needs a complete overhaul. Lawmakers believe that this newly-formed commission will create an effective system to prevent future crimes, and eventually, future victims as well.

The new DUI commission includes law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, and legislators who will submit their initial report at the start of 2010 Legislative session and then the final report will be provided during the 2011 session. Some of the provisions consist of stiffer penalties to take effect on July 1, 2010.

Tags: Commission, dui, Kansas, Substance Abuse Policy Board
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