Aggravated DUI
I have previously written about DUI Penalties in Mississippi and Zero Tolerance for Minors, but those posts did not discuss the felony crime of "aggravated DUI" and its accompanying penalties. A person is charged with the felony crime of "aggravated DUI" when they operate a motor vehicle in violation of the standard DUI statute (Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 63-11-30), and additionally, when they negligently cause the death of another person or mutilate, disfigure or permanently disable or destroy the tongue, eye, lip, nose or any other limb, organ or member of another person. In other words, if a DUI related accident results in the death or injury of a passenger, pedestrian, or person in another vehicle, the offending driver may be charged with an "aggravated DUI."
Each conviction for the felony of "aggravated DUI" carries a prison term for a period of time of not less than five (5) years and not to exceed twenty-five (25) years. If convicted for more than one count of aggravated DUI, the court may choose to run the prison terms concurrently (i.e. at the same time, so that two 10 year sentences equal 10 years) or consecutively (i.e. one term followed by the other, so that two 10 year sentences equal 20 years).
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