The father of a Nevada teenager killed by a speeding driver has petitioned his state representatives to work on a bill that, if passed, would dramatically increase the penalties for reckless driving when it results in serious bodily injury or death. The legislators sponsoring the bill hope that making punishments more severe will encourage Nevada motorists to obey the law and drive more carefully.
Of course, irresponsible driving is a serious and ongoing problem in the United States. On the other hand, there is also longstanding controversy surrounding the human costs associated with mandatory minimum sentences.
Notwithstanding arguments on both sides, the legal team at Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law, remains committed to ensuring that our clients are fully informed about their legal rights and have access to the excellent legal representation we all deserve when facing criminal charges. If you are facing reckless driving charges, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney.
What Is Rex’s Law?
Senate Bill 322, also known as “Rex’s Law,” is a proposed piece of legislation currently under consideration by the Nevada legislature that would increase the penalties for reckless driving convictions. The bill is named in honor of Rex Patchett, a 13-year-old who suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a driver going more than 90 miles per hour while traveling in a school zone in early 2022. After being prompted by Rex’s father, Senator Jeff Stone and Assemblyman Toby Yurek came together to sponsor the proposal.
The driver received a maximum sentence under the current reckless driving statute — six years with the possibility of parole after serving two years. The proposed law would raise the minimum sentence for a reckless driving conviction to 10-20 years if the underlying crime leads to “substantial bodily harm” or death. The law would also authorize an additional seven-year sentence for offenses that occur within a school or construction zone.
Advocates for the change argue that the current maximum sentence for reckless driving insufficiently punishes the kind of behavior that led to Rex’s death. Assemblyman Yurek, who is also a former police officer, equates the severity of this behavior to driving under the influence of alcohol, arguing that both crimes require defendants to actively choose a reckless course of action.
Reckless Driving Statistics in Nevada
According to the Nevada Department of Public Safety, law enforcement officers across the state issued 167 citations for reckless driving in 2021 alone. Further, there were 385 traffic fatalities in 2021 and 382 in 2022. To combat these numbers, Nevada’s reckless driving statute makes it illegal to:
- Drive a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property on a highway or premises to which the public has access.
- Drive a vehicle in an unauthorized speed contest on a highway or premises to which the public has access.
- Organize an unauthorized speed contest on a highway or premises to which the public has access.
- Drive a vehicle in an unauthorized trick-driving display on a public highway.
- Facilitate an unauthorized trick-driving display on a public highway.
Consult With an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney Today
The right to legal counsel is the cornerstone of the criminal justice system. At Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law, we believe that anyone facing criminal prosecution deserves high-quality legal representation. We are committed to providing that representation to each of our clients. If you are facing a reckless driving charge, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney.
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Our first prize winner, Shane Christensen, attends Llano High School in a small rural Texas town. His essay discusses how neighborhoods coming together is essential to prevent crime. Christensen explains how his town struggles with a methamphetamine epidemic, where he even sees his fellow high schoolers abusing drugs. He believes his town would benefit from a neighborhood watch group to combat this particular issue. “Communication between citizens and the law is the key to cracking down on certain problems in a society,” he explains. Christensen also states that funding should be provided to establish better lighting and cleanup throughout the town, as drug use and dealing runs rampant in the dark of night. He believes that through these methods, his town will be able to stop the production and distribution of drugs, as well as provide more safety for residents.
Second place is Steven Daley at Arizona State University, who addresses the circumstances that may lead some people to commit crimes. As he explains, “When people are unable to afford basic goods and services, they are more likely to meet their basic needs by committing crimes that give them the funds they need.” Daley believes that the way to prevent crime is to invest in services that can assist the needy with low-cost food, housing, transportation, medical treatment, and other essential goods and services. By ensuring people have the means to succeed and be gainfully employed, the need for many types of crimes will decrease.
Kiki Olafimihan, who attends Western New England University, sees the solution as requiring cooperation from many levels of society. This begins on a grassroots level to provide resources to the community and misguided youth. She also explains how cleaning up the community can help prevent vandalism, as a clean environment is less welcoming to crime. Olafimihan then states that there must also be involvement from the government level. The consequences of a criminal record frequently keep people from getting back on their feet, and they instead fall back into the cycle of crime. She explains, “Recognizing the unfairness of restricting relief to those without the means to financially fulfill certain obligations may prevent a recurrence of crime in the community.”