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House OKs minimum three‑year term for many drive‑by shootings as amendment passes
Summary
The House adopted an amendment to HB235 that creates a minimum three‑year sentence for specified drive‑by shootings without bodily harm but preserves judicial discretion when recorded on the record; the measure passed 64–2 and was sent to the Senate.
The Utah House amended and approved HB235 on Friday to strengthen penalties for drive‑by shootings in certain cases, adopting an amendment that establishes a minimum three‑year sentence while maintaining judge discretion with a required on‑the‑record explanation when that discretion is not used.
The sponsor described an incident in Fruit Heights in which a home's occupants narrowly escaped injury and said prosecutors supported expanding the sections of the statute to improve prosecutability. The sponsor told the House the original goal to make some instances second‑degree felonies was scaled to a pragmatic compromise: "a minimum, 3 year sentence would be acceptable," the sponsor said, explaining the legislative intent to send a strong message while allowing judges to depart when appropriate and to record reasons for departures.
Supporters said the change targets those who "take people's lives into their hands" and intimidate or endanger residents even when the act does not result in physical injury. The amendment was adopted under the sponsor's name; summation was waived and the House passed HB235 on a recorded vote of 64–2. The bill will be referred to the Senate for further action.
Next step: Senate consideration of HB235 with the adopted minimum‑term amendment.
