New Oklahoma Law Could Mean Serious Jail
Time for First Drunk Driving Offenses:
Should Other States Follow Suit?
The Western Journal,
by
Jack Davis
Original Article
Posted By: ConservativeYankee,
10/26/2025 4:56:53 PM
A new Oklahoma law that takes effect Nov. 1 will increase the instances when a Driving Under the Influence charge can be elevated to a felony.
Passing the bill had been Job One for Jeff Murrow, executive director of Victims of Impaired Drivers, ever since his daughter was killed by a drunk driver, according to KFOR-TV.
“Marissa was killed in October of 2020 by a man that was nearly three times the legal limit. Driving the wrong way on the Kilpatrick Turnpike,” he said. "You can’t say it’s a mistake when it’s their second, third, fourth time to repeat,” Murrow explained.
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
padiva 10/26/2025 5:45:53 PM (No. 2021878)
As it should be.
6 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
K620 10/26/2025 5:53:56 PM (No. 2021881)
The headline is misleading. No, a first-time DUI should not automatically mean jail. Neither apparently does Oklahoma’s bill. It may mean jail if you’re two times over the legal limit, or if you endanger people, or you evade the police. I’m probably okay with that. Sending me to jail for having two glasses of wine at dinner — MADD’s .08 — not so much.
16 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
DVC 10/26/2025 6:03:15 PM (No. 2021891)
Works for me. Drunk drivers kill a lot of people.
7 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Maggie2u 10/26/2025 6:25:40 PM (No. 2021903)
And double the sentence if you're an illegal alien driving drunk.
9 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Catfur27 10/26/2025 6:56:43 PM (No. 2021909)
What about elderly people ...say over 65 ...who KNOW they have physical restrictions...neck...back...head ...vision...hearing ....limitations .......and CHOOSE to drive ...and get into accidents...??
..or youngsters under 20...who are not mature... have little experience....or do not have good judgement.. and CHOOSE to drive ...and get into accidents ...??
...they CHOOSE to drive ....despite their limitations....and IF they cause accidents shouldn't they face similar punishments ....???
2 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Kate318 10/26/2025 8:11:24 PM (No. 2021942)
Only if they add cell phones in with that. I’ve seen more consistently dangerous drivers on the road on their phones than drunk.
11 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 10/26/2025 8:12:49 PM (No. 2021943)
First time DUI is the first time they got CAUGHT. It's not their first time.
7 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
PostAway 10/26/2025 9:53:32 PM (No. 2021980)
#5 raises some objections to singling out drunk drivers but there is a difference between driving while polluted by alcohol or some drugs and being young or old with attendant limitations. Driving is not an inherently safe activity. However, the licensing process should weed out age-related dangerous drivers but anyone can get drunk at any time.
4 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
JimBob 10/26/2025 10:41:21 PM (No. 2022000)
I'm with #2.
3 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
mc squared 10/26/2025 11:36:49 PM (No. 2022017)
#2 is correct. In a crackdown some time ago, cops were polling over almost everyone leaving a tavern. Diners with .08 or sometimes less were arrested because the cops said she was impaired. You don't need a BAC over .08 if the cops says your eyes are glassy.
Finally, business owners put a stop to the aegregious arrests.
2 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Timber Queen 10/26/2025 11:54:36 PM (No. 2022020)
For the majority of his 20-year service on the LAPD, TK was a traffic officer. He was one of four officers that formed a special team called to investigate accidents with four or more fatalities. The ten years we were married during this time, he never spent a New Years Eve at home. He called it "Amateur Drunk Night". One regular-night drunk drove straight through traffic barriers into a sewer project ditch. It took two tow trucks to get his car out.
The incident that haunts TK the most happened early in his career. A white old drunk ran over a little 8-year-old black girl. TK's partner was calling for the ambulance and a supervisor, while TK ran with the child in his arms to the police cruiser, knowing she couldn't wait. When he laid her on the back seat, she was dead. He walked back to his partner and the suspect. The drunk slurred out, "That little (n-word) girl shouldn't have run into the street!" TK lunged at the drunk, knocking him down on the ground and began punching. The crowd was yelling as his partner peeled him off, "Don't stop him! Let him go!" No one mentioned the condition of the drunk, and the supervisor asked no questions. Too bad that today they don't allow a little street justice every now and again.
You can drink and still a good time. TK in his single-man bar days would switch to straight 7-up the last hour or two. They serve it like a cocktail, and no one notices or cares.
Drive Sober: Save Lives
7 people like this.
Should have special DUI prisons or sections of existing prisons. First offense = 5 years with no early release; Second offense = 15 years, no early release; Third offense = life without parole; Injure someone and you are gone for 25 years with no early release; kill someone and you are in prison for life with no parole. Should also eliminate plea bargaining for these offenses. If necessary establish special courts that handle only DUI cases to handle the case load.
1 person likes this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
bpl40 10/27/2025 5:17:03 AM (No. 2022052)
It might be the first time but the killing or maiming is no different.
1 person likes this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 10/27/2025 8:01:16 AM (No. 2022101)
I am a retired insurance agent and saw plenty of what a DUI can do to your privilege to drive. I am no fan of drunk driving and don't drink, but there should be limits to a first offense. Perhaps a one year revocation of license then jail for an additional violation. I understand the death and mayhem caused by drinking and driving but I also see the current, lethal results of illegals who can't speak English, are untrained, driving 88,000 pound 18 wheelers and a mortal danger to innocent people. For some stupid reason, they seem to be a "protected class" to Democrats and are given a free pass to break the law in some of our states.
Then you have have the elderly or otherwise impaired who shouldn't be on public roads. I have had insureds ask me to do something to help them get the keys away from mom or dad. One insured's dad wouldn't give his up so his son took the rotor button off his pickup's distributor so it wouldn't start. The old man never tried to start it and drive somewhere but he was satisfied that he still had his keys in case he wanted to.
I had to write a letter to my old high school principal after he had a minor accident suggesting that it was time to consider giving up driving. I was still scared of him after all the years but he took my advice and stopped driving. He was in his upper eighties and I think he knew it was time.
There are plenty of sober drivers on our roads like the elderly and otherwise impaired who shouldn't be driving.
A first DUI for someone slightly over the limit should get punished but consideration should be given for first time offenders. Two glasses of wine for my tiny wife might make her read .09 on the breathalyzer.
4 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
Strike3 10/27/2025 8:11:28 AM (No. 2022109)
Whatever. If the law is applied equally. You can pull over drunk lawyers, judges and policemen all day long.
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
homefry 10/27/2025 8:34:36 AM (No. 2022118)
In all honesty, when I was 20 years old or so, we drove drinking all the time. Get stopped, you just sat your beer down on the floor while you talked to police.90% of the time they would look at you, talk to you and determine how much you had been drinking. Sometimes they would tell you to go home and nowhere else. Sometimes they would have a passenger take over driving, and sometimes they would tell you to be careful and not even take your open beer away from you. We NEVER had wrecks. A friend once commented on how we managed to drive while drinking without having wrecks, he said we were experienced drunk drivers.
I wouldnt recommend it though.
3 people like this.
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