TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a legislation growing penalties for repeat offenders convicted of driving below the affect manslaughter, boating below the affect manslaughter, vehicular murder or vessel murder.
Republican Reps. Kim Kendall and Rachel Plakon carried the Home invoice. A comparable invoice was carried by Republican Sen. Tom Wright within the Senate.
The invoice, HB 687, will increase the penalty for a conviction for DUI manslaughter, BUI manslaughter, vehicular murder, or vessel murder from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony if the offender has a previous conviction for any of these offenses, in line with the invoice evaluation.
The invoice additionally makes a primary refusal to undergo a lawful breath or urine check following a DUI arrest a prison offense, punishable as a second-degree misdemeanor.
Underneath present legislation, failure to undergo a check ends in a one-year driver’s license suspension for a primary refusal and a interval of 18-month for a second or subsequent refusal. A second or subsequent refusal is a first-degree misdemeanor.
The invoice, named “Trenton’s Regulation,” reportedly honors 18-year-old highschool pupil Trenton Stewart, who was killed by impaired driver Ariel Monteagudo — a repeat offender who had beforehand served 10 years in jail for a deadly crash.
The legislation takes impact Oct. 1.
