Father of drunk driving victim wants tougher laws

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SCHOFIELD - The father of a Schofield girl killed by a drunken driver wants to see even tougher laws.

Steve Meinel says the law passed last week doesn’t go far enough and i

s disappointed that lawmakers haven’t done more to address the problem.

The bill passed Wednesday would make fourth offense drunk driving a felony, increases penalties for first time offenders, and expands treatment programs.

One change Meinel says he’d like to see made is legalizing sobriety checkpoints. He also wants to see first time offenders punished substantially, in order to change their behavior in the future.

Meinel’s 14-year-old daughter Lacey was killed by a wrong-way drunk driver last January. Her classmates have drafted a petition for lawmakers to pass “Lacey’s Law.” The measure would require a 30-day jail sentence for first-time offenders, a six-month sentence for second offenders and harsher penalties for repeat offenders.

Tags: crime & courts, news, wisconsin