Getting a DUI in Pennsylvania could mean more jail time, thanks to new changes in laws regarding driving under the influence in the Keystone state.

Now officially law in Pennsylvania, Act 59 of 2022, or "Dena's Law" requires consecutive sentences for those convicted of third and subsequent DUIs.
It also requires longer prison sentences for those offenders.

"This law came about because of a very tragic incident where Deana Eckman was killed by a DUI driver who has six DUI's and had just gotten out of prison for his prior DUI," said attorney Matt Mangino.

According to the lawmaker who sponsored the bill, the man who hit Deana was only out of jail because he was allowed to serve the sentences for his fourth and fifth DUIs concurrently, meaning all at the same time. Had the court imposed consecutive sentences for these offenses, he would have still been in prison the night she was killed.

"There are sentence guidelines in PA that will effect the amount of time but it certainly makes the punishment much more serious for multiple DUI offenders in PA," added Mangino.

The new law also sets an 18 month long driving suspension for any DUI conviction graded as a felony of the second degree.

The new laws are an effort to make sure repeat offenders don't continue to BE repeat offenders.