Stiffer Penalties in Place for DWI Offenders in Minnesota

DWI offenders will face stiffer penalties if they get caught in Minnesota.

The legislature lowered the blood-alcohol level to .16% for a gross misdemeanor charge.

The current level is at .2%.

The charge carries a maximum one year in jail instead of 90 days and also triples the current $1,000 fine.

The new laws could increase the amount of gross misdemeanors by more than three thousand.