A Batavia woman is the first person in Western New York charged with an enhanced felony DWI under a new statute that took effect Dec. 18 known as "Leandra's Law."
The law turns a misdemeanor DWI into a felony DWI if children are in the car.
Michelle T. Crawford, 24, was reportedly picked up by State Police in the Town of Marilla in Erie County.
Troopers were alerted Sunday afternoon to a domestic dispute in the Town of West Seneca in which the woman involved drove away with her three children, and she was reportedly agitated and had been drinking. The initial report had her heading back to Batavia.
Shortly after the initial report reached State Police, a trooper spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one that left West Seneca on Clinton Street near Two Rod Road.
Following a traffic stop, Crawford was charged with felony DWI, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and other traffic offenses. Crawford allegedly refused a breath test.
She was jailed in the Erie County Holding Center on $25,000 bail.
The children, ages 4, 3 and 17 months, were picked up by a relative.
Just what we needed.
Just what we needed. "Another" law. I don't understand the need for special rules for special crimes. Whether you have passengers or not is a moot point. If you're driving while impaired or even while intoxicated, you're jeopardizing the life of every other driver on the road. What difference does it make if they're in your vehicle or not? Why aren't all drunk driving arrests, felonies? Why are any of them misdemeanors? We didn't need another "special" law.
The legislature has to do
The legislature has to do something with all the spare time they fail to devote to their first priority: fixing the budget. Why not ask Hypocrite Hawley about it?
I agree Doug. I think that
I agree Doug. I think that all DUI's should be felonies, regardless of who is or is not in the car. It's time that people start owning their choices! If you choose to go out drinking and then you choose to get behind the wheel of a car, you should get punished, harshly.
I knew the young lady that was killed from Medina. She was a sweetheart of a girl. I am sick of reading stories about people dying for this needless reason.
If you are one of those people who want to defend drinking and driving, or the "ridiculous money grabbing penalties" for some BS reason, I challenge you to attend a Victim's Impact Panel and hear first hand what your stupidity does to families.
C.M., Again, Hawley listed a
C.M.,
Again, Hawley listed a number of cuts that could have been made, and they were on this site, but the Democrat legislature refused to even discuss them.
He then voted against the phony cuts made. In fact, even the Democrat Governor said the "cuts" did not do the job and he had to make some cuts on his own.
So, C.M., what cuts do you think Hawley could have made, being a minority member who proposed cuts that were not considered and voted against the phony cuts?
John, explain "phony". If
John, explain "phony". If it's a cut, why is it phony? Just wondering.
What cuts? They took money
What cuts? They took money that was to be used next year and say it is a cut. They withhold school aid, not cut it, and call it a cut.
I give Patterson some credit for trying now, but I wish he had not backed adding 9% to the budget last year knowing the money was not there. But I don't think he could have stopped his own party from doing it.