Nevada Judges Only Now Complying with 1997 Ignition Interlock Device Law
Ever since 1997, defendants convicted of breaking Nevada felony DUI law were supposed to have ignition interlock devices installed in their cars. But a recent Reno Gazette-Journal investigation found that no Washoe County judge since 2000 has ordered this provision. Now, judges and parole officers across the state are pledging to enforce the sentence in an effort to stem future DUIs. (An ignition interlock device is a kind of breathalyzer that prevents the car it’s attached to from starting if the driver has ingested any alcohol.)
Second Judicial District Chief Judge Connie Steinheimer said, "My district is aware of it and is moving forward to see that there is not an oversight again.” Clark County District Judge Jennifer Togliatti said, "Every judge I know will be doing it immediately.” And Las Vegas Chief Deputy District Attorney L.J. O'Neale said they’re changing the plea agreements accordingly to correspond with Nevada felony DUI law: "The plea agreements had not kept up with the change in the law and only said a judge 'may' order the device. We're changing the language from permissive to mandatory."
Nevada felony DUI law requires that anyone convicted of a third DUI within a seven year period, or anyone in a DUI accident that caused death or injury, must have an ignition interlock device in their car for one to three years after the defendant’s prison sentence is complete and they’re applying for a drivers license, which will then show a code indicating that they’ve complied with the ignition interlock device requirement.
