They wonder if upping the mandatory minimum jail time for a New Mexico DWI will solve the state's drunk driving problem. New Mexico was the first state to require ignition interlock devices for every DUI conviction. Several other state quickly followed their lead.
But New Mexico is way behind states like Arizona when it comes to putting people in jail for DUI. In fact, in Arizona, a person can expect as much as 45 consecutive days in jail for a first offense DUI depending on the alcohol level.
New Mexico Independent » TODAY’S TOP STORIES: DWI and the ‘kitchen sink’: "The story by the Journal’s intrepid crime reporter T.J. Wilham makes clear that the governor is proposing a mandatory three-day jail sentence — plus a $2,500 fine — for all first-time drunk driving offenders. But is the tough proposal the solution to New Mexico’s chronic problem?"
And why would a couple of extra days in jail solve the problem of DWI and DWI related accidents in New Mexico? There is little logical nexus and history will show that this move in the law, should it pass, is more political than beneficial.
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