Opinion ID: 1918253
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Heading Rank: 2

Heading: rhode island's drunk-driving laws background

Text: Although drunk-driving statutes have existed for some time, the collective awareness of the people of the State of Rhode Island led to an overhaul of the state's drunk-driving laws in the early 1980s. In 1982, the offense of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor (DUI) was upgraded to a misdemeanor, and the necessity of producing competent evidence of intoxication in addition to proof of a defendant's blood alcohol level was eliminated. [1] A year later, the DUI statute, § 31-27-2, was further amended by the addition of subsection (b), which provided that any person charged with DUI, whose blood alcohol concentration is one-tenth of 1% or more by weight as shown by a chemical analysis of a blood, breath or urine sample shall be guilty of DUI. [2] In 1983, all statutory presumptions against a finding of intoxication were deleted from § 31-27-2.1, in an amendment entitled Revocation of license upon refusal to submit to chemical test. [3] This amendment relieved the state of the necessity of producing expert testimony that demonstrated the effects of a given blood alcohol concentration on the accused. See State v. Lussier, 511 A.2d 958, 960 (R.I.1986). Further, the General Assembly enacted two additional felony offenses at that time, § 31-27-1.1, entitled Driving so as to endanger, resulting in personal injury, and § 31-27-2.2, entitled Driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in death.