This bill affects sentences in criminal cases in the following ways.

1. It decreases the minimum sentence of imprisonment for murder to 20 years.

2. It grants the sentencing court the authority to deviate from a mandatory minimum sentence and mandatory minimum fine in those circumstances when the court determines that the mandatory fine or sentence would create a substantial injustice and the deviation would not diminish the gravity of the offense or adversely affect public safety. Specific factors must be considered by the court before deviating from the mandatory minimum.

3. It removes the cap on fines for operating under the influence and instead allows the court to impose the maximum fine allowed for that specific class of crime. Currently, the maximum penalty that may be imposed for a Class D crime is $2,000; for a Class C crime, the maximum is $5,000; and for a Class B crime, the maximum is $20,000.

4. It changes the class of crime for a 3rd OUI conviction in less than 10 years from a Class D to a Class C crime. It also changes the class of crime for 4 or more OUI convictions in a 10- year period from a Class C crime to a Class B crime and allows the court to permanently revoke the driver's license of a person convicted of 4 or more OUI violations in a 10-year period.