Gov. Sanford: Undo Subcommittee’s Amendments to DUI Laws

GOVERNOR CALLS ON SENATE JUDICIARY,
FULL SENATE TO FIX DUI BILL

Columbia, S.C. - February 5, 2008 -Governor Mark Sanford called on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate to strip amendments added today to a DUI bill under consideration that would both weaken proposed punishments and create additional loopholes in DUI arrests.

A bill to strengthen the state’s DUI laws, H.3496, passed the subcommittee today only after amendments were added to:

• Strip a new tiered system of punishment for first offenders, and weaken proposed penalties for refusal to take sobriety tests

• Require additional roadside warnings above and beyond Miranda warnings, making the DUI law the only law in South Carolina where such additional warnings are required

• Reverse two previous Supreme Court decisions that in the past had helped prosecutors try DUI cases.

“Throughout this too-long process, we’ve heard a lot from some folks on this subcommittee about our state maybe not needing tougher DUI laws, and it’s tragic that perspective won with these amendments in the subcommittee today,” Gov. Sanford said. “I’d urge every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate to continue moving forward on this bill after these amendments are reversed, because the sad reality in our state is that too many people are dying on South Carolina roads each year due to anemic DUI laws.”

One alcohol-related death occurs on our nation’s roads every 31 minutes, and one alcohol-related injury occurs every two minutes. In 2005, South Carolina ranked seventh in vehicle deaths per 100,000 miles driven, with alcohol being a significant factor in these deaths. South Carolina is 9th in the country for the percentage of drunk drivers in fatal crashes. In part due to the difficulty in getting DUI convictions, plea bargaining in DUI cases is rampant - 40 percent of repeat DUI offenders in South Carolina plead guilty to lesser offenses.

Last week, the governor unveiled a video that highlights the tragedy ofour state’s weak DUI laws. The video can be found at
www.youtube.com/governorsanford.