Washington State Senate Votes to Make 4th DUI a Felony – For 6th Time

Posted Tuesday, February 28, 2017 by Andrew Charles Huff

The Washington State Senate voted 41-0 Thursday morning to make the fourth DUI a felony. This was the sixth time the Senate has given such a measure a unanimous vote since 2015. The previous five times, House leaders declined to bring the measure to the House floor for a vote.

Senate Bill 5037 would allow the fourth offense in Washington to be charged as a Class C felony. A person with three prior convictions for driving under the influence or related offenses, and no other criminal history, would be subject to a sentencing range of 13 to 17 months’ incarceration.

An analysis by the state Office of Financial Management estimates that 192 new felony cases would be tried in county superior courts each year.