BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 California lawmakers are taking a closer look at driving under the influence and the possibility of increasing consequences for offenders.<\/p>\n
One proposal, Assembly Bill 1605, would allow judges to place a \u201cno alcohol sale\u201d designation on the driver\u2019s licenses or state IDs of people convicted of certain DUI offenses.<\/p>\n
For one Bakersfield mother whose son was killed by a drunk driver, the change cannot come soon enough.<\/p>\n
It has been four months since Stephanie Soerjono lost her 8-year-old son, Xxavien Hernandez, in a crash caused by a drunk driver just before the holidays. Now she is preparing for her first birthday without him.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day is hard, but this birthday\u2019s gonna be really hard. It\u2019s gonna be really hard,\u201d Soerjono said.<\/p>\n
Soerjono has maintained a memorial at the crash site at Haley Street and E. California Avenue. At the location, she placed a sign with a QR code encouraging people to support changes to DUI laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how I\u2019m able to move forward,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m here to speak for him because he doesn\u2019t have a voice to speak for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
In February, California lawmakers introduced a slate of bills aimed at addressing drunk driving. Assembly Bill 1605 would allow judges to add a \u201cno alcohol sale\u201d designation to the IDs of people convicted of multiple DUIs or involved in DUI crashes that result in great bodily injury, major property damage or death.<\/p>\n
Matt Clark, a partner with the Bakersfield law firm Chain Cohn Clark, said the proposal could help but may not fully address the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have mixed emotions,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n
Clark is also one of the organizers of a petition calling for stronger consequences for DUI offenses. He said the proposed bill is a step in the right direction but may function more as a temporary fix.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sort of the similar position we\u2019re in now, where the judges have a spectrum of sentencing guidelines,\u201d Clark said. \u201cOne of the things we\u2019re seeing is that too many judges are at the bottom of the spectrum. They\u2019re giving minimal sentences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark also noted that even if the designation is added to a driver\u2019s license, its effectiveness could depend on whether businesses check identification before selling alcohol.<\/p>\n
Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, who introduced the bill, said education and awareness will be key if the proposal becomes law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will need to educate people and make sure that they know because we\u2019re trying to keep people safe on our streets,\u201d Ransom said. \u201cWe do need to take an extra look at these licenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark\u2019s petition calls for several changes to California\u2019s DUI laws, including mandatory minimum sentencing for first-time offenders, stricter license suspensions and required alcohol monitoring to prevent repeat violations.<\/p>\n
Still, Clark said any effort to bring attention to the issue is meaningful.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat in and of itself has served a purpose,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if that\u2019s happening in communities around California, then yes, I do think we have the opportunity to make some real meaningful change.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Soerjono, the goal is to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that it doesn\u2019t save my son now, but it can save someone else\u2019s,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it would mean so much to see that steps are being taken in the right direction to make sure more families don\u2019t go through this. No more babies are lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soerjono and her family say raising awareness has helped them cope with their grief. But the greatest comfort comes from keeping Xxavien\u2019s memory alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind the thing that was special to you or that reminds you of that person,\u201d said Theresa Soerjono, Xxavien\u2019s aunt. \u201cIt\u2019s frustrating and confusing. You don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with AB 1605, eight other bills addressing DUI offenses are currently making their way through the California Legislature, four of which would increase criminal penalties for drunk driving.<\/p>\n
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