House Bill No. by Representative Villio aims to amend existing laws regarding penalties for driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenses in Louisiana. The bill specifically enhances penalties for individuals who have prior convictions for serious offenses such as vehicular homicide, third-degree feticide, or first-degree vehicular negligent injuring. Notably, the bill introduces new legal language that stipulates that for a second offense, if the first offense was one of the aforementioned crimes or an equivalent law from another state, the offender will face a fine of $2,000 and a minimum of two years imprisonment, with at least one year served without the possibility of parole.

Additionally, the bill establishes increased penalties for third and fourth DWI offenses for those with prior convictions for the same serious crimes. For a third offense, the offender will face a fine of $2,000 and a prison sentence of five to fifteen years, with a mandatory minimum of five years served without parole. For a fourth offense, the penalties escalate to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment of twelve months to thirty years, with no part of the sentence eligible for parole or probation. The bill also mandates the seizure and auction of the vehicle involved in the offense upon the motion of the prosecuting district attorney.

Statutes affected:
HB82 Original: 14:2(D), 14:3(C), 14:4(C)