North Dakota Code 39-08-01.2 – Special punishment for causing injury or death while operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol
1. An individual is guilty of criminal vehicular homicide if the individual commits an offense under section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance and as a result the individual causes a death of another individual to occur, including the death of an unborn child, unless the individual who causes the death of the unborn child is the mother. A violation of this subsection is a class A felony. If an individual commits a violation under this subsection, the court shall impose at least three years’ imprisonment. If the individual violates this section after having been previously convicted of a violation of section 39-08-01 or 39-08-03, or equivalent ordinance, the court shall impose at least ten years’ imprisonment. An individual may not be prosecuted and found guilty of this and an offense under chapter 12.1-16 if the conduct arises out of the same incident.
Attorney's Note
Under the North Dakota Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A felony | up to 20 years | up to $20,000 |
| Class C felony | up to 5 years | up to $10,000 |
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 39-08-01.2
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- imprisonment: includes house arrest. See North Dakota Code 39-08-01
- Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- year: means twelve consecutive months. See North Dakota Code 1-01-33
2. An individual is guilty of criminal vehicular injury if the individual violates section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance and as a result that individual causes substantial bodily or serious bodily injury to another individual. Violation of this subsection is a class C felony. If an individual violates this subsection, the court shall impose at least one year‘s imprisonment. If the individual violates this section after having been previously convicted of a violation of section 39-08-01 or 39-08-03 or equivalent ordinance, the court shall impose at least two years’ imprisonment.
3. The sentence under this section may not be suspended unless the court finds that manifest injustice would result from the imposition of the sentence. Before a sentence under this section applies, a defendant must be notified of the minimum mandatory sentence. The elements of an offense under this section are the elements of an offense for a violation of section 39-08-01 and the additional elements that create an offense in each subsection of this section. Whether an individual caused death or substantial or serious bodily injury must be determined in accordance with section 12.1-02-05.