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169A.275 Mandatory penalties; nonfelony violations.

Subdivision 1. Second offense. (a) The court shall sentence a person who is convicted of a violation of section 169A.20 (driving while impaired) within ten years of a qualified prior impaired driving incident to either:

(1) a minimum of 30 days of incarceration, at least 48 hours of which must be served consecutively in a local correctional facility; or

(2) eight hours of community work service for each day less than 30 days that the person is ordered to serve in a local correctional facility.

Notwithstanding section 609.135 (stay of imposition or execution of sentence), the penalties in this paragraph must be executed, unless the court departs from the mandatory minimum sentence under paragraph (b) or (c).

(b) Prior to sentencing, the prosecutor may file a motion to have a defendant described in paragraph (a) sentenced without regard to the mandatory minimum sentence established by that paragraph. The motion must be accompanied by a statement on the record of the reasons for it. When presented with the prosecutor's motion and if it finds that substantial mitigating factors exist, the court shall sentence the defendant without regard to the mandatory minimum sentence established by paragraph (a).

(c) The court may, on its own motion, sentence a defendant described in paragraph (a) without regard to the mandatory minimum sentence established by that paragraph if it finds that substantial mitigating factors exist and if its sentencing departure is accompanied by a statement on the record of the reasons for it. The court also may sentence the defendant without regard to the mandatory minimum sentence established by paragraph (a) if the defendant is sentenced to probation and ordered to participate in a program established under section 169A.74 (pilot programs of intensive probation for repeat DWI offenders).

(d) When any portion of the sentence required by paragraph (a) is not executed, the court should impose a sentence that is proportional to the extent of the offender's prior criminal and moving traffic violation record. Any sentence required under paragraph (a) must include a mandatory sentence that is not subject to suspension or a stay of imposition or execution, and that includes incarceration for not less than 48 consecutive hours or at least 80 hours of community work service.

Subd. 2. Third offense. (a) The court shall sentence a person who is convicted of a violation of section 169A.20 (driving while impaired) within ten years of the first of two qualified prior impaired driving incidents to either:

(1) a minimum of 90 days of incarceration, at least 30 days of which must be served consecutively in a local correctional facility; or

(2) a program of intensive supervision of the type described in section 169A.74 (pilot programs of intensive probation for repeat DWI offenders) that requires the person to consecutively serve at least six days in a local correctional facility.

(b) The court may order that the person serve not more than 60 days of the minimum penalty under paragraph (a), clause (1), on home detention or in an intensive probation program described in section 169A.74.

(c) Notwithstanding section 609.135, the penalties in this subdivision must be imposed and executed.

Subd. 3. Fourth offense. (a) Unless the court commits the person to the custody of the commissioner of corrections as provided in section 169A.276 (mandatory penalties; felony violations), the court shall sentence a person who is convicted of a violation of section 169A.20 (driving while impaired) within ten years of the first of three qualified prior impaired driving incidents to either:

(1) a minimum of 180 days of incarceration, at least 30 days of which must be served consecutively in a local correctional facility; or

(2) a program of intensive supervision of the type described in section 169A.74 (pilot programs of intensive probation for repeat DWI offenders) that requires the person to consecutively serve at least six days in a local correctional facility.

(b) The court may order that the person serve not more than 150 days of the minimum penalty under paragraph (a), clause (1), on home detention or in an intensive probation program described in section 169A.74. Notwithstanding section 609.135, the penalties in this subdivision must be imposed and executed.

Subd. 4. Fifth offense or more. (a) Unless the court commits the person to the custody of the commissioner of corrections as provided in section 169A.276 (mandatory penalties; felony violations), the court shall sentence a person who is convicted of a violation of section 169A.20 (driving while impaired) within ten years of the first of four or more qualified prior impaired driving incidents to either:

(1) a minimum of one year of incarceration, at least 60 days of which must be served consecutively in a local correctional facility; or

(2) a program of intensive supervision of the type described in section 169A.74 (pilot programs of intensive probation for repeat DWI offenders) that requires the person to consecutively serve at least six days in a local correctional facility.

(b) The court may order that the person serve the remainder of the minimum penalty under paragraph (a), clause (1), on intensive probation using an electronic monitoring system or, if such a system is unavailable, on home detention. Notwithstanding section 609.135, the penalties in this subdivision must be imposed and executed.

Subd. 5. Level of care recommended in chemical use assessment. Unless the court commits the person to the custody of the commissioner of corrections as provided in section 169A.276 (mandatory penalties; felony violations), in addition to other penalties required under this section, the court shall order a person to submit to the level of care recommended in the chemical use assessment conducted under section 169A.70 (alcohol safety program; chemical use assessments) if the person is convicted of violating section 169A.20 (driving while impaired) while having an alcohol concentration of 0.20 or more as measured at the time, or within two hours of the time, of the offense or if the violation occurs within ten years of one or more qualified prior impaired driving incidents.

HIST: 2000 c 478 art 1 s 11; 1Sp2001 c 8 art 11 s 7; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 19 s 8

* NOTE: The amendments to this section by Laws 2001, First *Special Session chapter 8, article 11, section 7; and chapter 9, *article 19, section 8, are effective August 1, 2002, and apply *to crimes committed on or after that date. Laws 2001, First *Special Session chapter 8, article 11, section 17; and chapter *9, article 19, section 17.

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