On July 31, a 31-year-old woman was taken into custody for an alleged DUI in Washington 10 years after she killed two friends in a previous drinking and driving offense. She was initially stopped for speeding on I-5 on July 27, but authorities found she had an alleged blood alcohol level of .14 percent. The maximum limit in the state for a conviction for drunk driving is .08 percent. She could face a maximum prison term of 43 months if convicted.

In 2000, at the age of 18, she was convicted of intoxicated driving. In 2003, she was in an accident where two men lost their lives. She was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and spent 5.5 years in custody. A sister of one of the men who was killed expressed her frustration. She doesn't believe that the woman learned her lesson as she continues to behave recklessly and pose a risk to the community. She still misses her brother, and she wants the public protected from repeat drunk drivers.

In July, the governor signed legislation that strengthened DUI laws. The new legislation now mandates that anyone with a prior conviction for DUI who is suspected of a second offense will be taken into custody and have an ignition interlock device installed onto their vehicle. Ignition interlock devices keep a vehicle from starting until the person blows into a device that measures their alcohol intake.

Someone who is arrested for drinking and driving could face serious consequences, especially if they have any prior offenses on their record. A criminal defense attorney might be able to ensure that a client's rights were not violated while they were being charged.

Source: KXLY, "Woman accused of third DUI ten years after fatal crash in Pend Oreille county", Annie Bishop, August 02, 2013