State Lawmakers Consider Felony DUI Measure
DENVER (CBS4)- State lawmakers are considering a felony DUI bill just as one Longmont man sets an example of why supporters believe the law is needed. Dan Brooks has been arrested for suspicion of driving drunk for the 12th time since 1986.
According to the police report, Brooks not only reeked of alcohol but he had a bottle of whiskey wedged between the seats.
Even with 11 prior DUI arrests, Brooks will be charged with a misdemeanor.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and thinking you're going to get a different result. Think what that means, that someone gets convicted of DUI over and over again and the only sentence they can get is a year in the county jail and they usually don't serve all of that," said Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett.
Garnett said in the case of hard core drunk drivers, his office needs more to protect public safety. He believes the legislation pending before state lawmakers would give him that by making the fourth DUI a felony or a third DUI in seven years if the driver takes off, hurts someone or has children in the vehicle. The driver would face up to six years in prison.
"What worries me the most is we're seeing more and more people driving with multiple DUI convictions," said Garnett.
Last year the Boulder County DA's Office handled 363 cases where the suspect had at least two DUIs, 154 with three or more DUIs. One person in that list had 16 DUI arrests.
"You have to work pretty hard to get two and to get three, have a serious public safety drinking problem we need to address," said Garnett.
Garnett is the first district attorney in the state to charge first-degree murder in cases where a repeat drunk driver has killed someone. But he said it shouldn't get to that.
"With many of these people the best thing we can do for the public is put them where they can't get a car and drive," said Garnett. "It's not going to solve the problem but one more thing to help us protect the public."
