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Family urges county and lawmakers to back 'Brad's Law' after Seymour worker's death
Summary
A Castner family representative urged Jackson County commissioners to press for tougher enforcement and a state felony for causing death while driving without a license, presenting local data that he says show widespread use of pretrial diversion and inconsistent booking for unlicensed drivers.
Mike Wright, speaking for the family of Brad Castner, urged Jackson County commissioners on Nov. 6 to press state and local officials for tougher consequences for people who drive without a license after he said an unlicensed driver killed Castner in March.
Wright presented case files and countywide court data he said show many incidents end with pretrial diversion or suspended sentences. "Public Safety and people dying is priority #1," Wright said during his 30-minute presentation, recounting that the driver involved in Castner's death had prior encounters with law enforcement but received pretrial diversion on earlier cases.
Wright said his group has reached out to state leaders and the attorney general and is backing a legislative proposal—referred to in testimony as "Brad's Law"—that would make causing death while driving without a license a felony. He also described ISTOPIC, an effort to coordinate prosecutors, law enforcement and the state legislature on the issue.
The presenter provided a county tally he said covered September 2023 to August 2024 and reported roughly 540 incidents systemwide (about 45 per month), with Seymour accounting for about 351 of those incidents and only 100 recorded as booked by Seymour officers in the period cited. Wright said that pattern, combined with frequent pretrial diversions, prevents escalation to more serious charges and undermines deterrence.
Commissioner Drew Markel said the commissioners will take the materials under advisement and suggested starting with a local resolution to make clear that Jackson County expects officers to book and process individuals stopped for driving without a license. "It becomes known in Jackson County that if you drive without a license you will be held accountable. Period," Markel said.
Wright told the board he has discussed the issue with Representative Jim Lucas, State Senator Erich Koch and Attorney General staff and urged both local policy (booking and identification improvements) and state-level law changes. The board did not adopt formal binding policy at the meeting but asked that the materials be handed to officials for further consideration.
