Cuomo signs bill strengthening boating while intoxicated penalties

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday signed into law a bill that requires courts to consider prior intoxicated and impaired driving convictions when sentencing someone for intoxicated or impaired boating.

Under the new law, a judge would be required to consider prior DWIs or DWAIs within a five-year period for any 30-day BWI sentence. A judge would be required to consider prior DWIs or DWAIs within a 10-year period for any 180-day BWAI sentence.

The idea is that a sentencing judge would be required to impose a higher sentence on repeat intoxicated machine operation offenders, Cuomo’s office said.

“Those who repeatedly violate intoxicated operation laws should not be given leniency because they have re-offended in a boat versus a car,” the bill’s justification memo states.

Read more: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/266480/cuomo-signs-bill-strengthening-boating-while-intoxicated-penalties/