Hi, this is David McKenzie at the McKenzie Law Firm. And if you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania, we can help. A new Pennsylvania law takes effect that closes a loophole that previously provided repeat drunken drivers with legally lighter sentences. Previously, under Pennsylvania law, a driver cannot be treated as a repeat offender until being sentenced for a first DUI offense. This is important because repeat offenders under the DUI law are treated to harsher penalties than are those that are first time offenders. The law worked like this. When a person was charged with multiple DUIs in a short period of time, prosecutors would often accept deals that would bundle the cases and treat each offense as a first time offense. A very real example of this would be someone who was charged with multiple DUIs in the same day. In the past, when those DUIs were ultimately resolved, they would, almost 100% certainty, would each be treated as a first DUI offense rather than subsequent offenses. Now under the current law, judges will consider multiple cases to be repeat offenses even if the sentencing for the first offense has not occurred and thus, harsher penalties will be triggered. Using the previous example, that very same person that was charged with multiple DUIs in the same day will now face DUI penalties as if those DUI offenses are repeat offenses and thus, face exponentially greater possible penalties. This is a very real and important concern if you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania. We at the McKenzie law firm are highly skilled in this area, and we are willing and able to help you. Please give us a call.
