It doesn't. As long as the law doesn't identify it as premeditation then this will be the sentence. I think if you go somewhere in a vehicle knowing that you are going to drink-you knew that you'd be taking a chance making it home alive BEFORE YOU STARTED DRINKING. I do sympathize with the family members though. They are the ones left to deal with all the headache, grief and planning.

Listen, at least there is now a mandatory minimum! That is the "at least" 3 years. My understanding is that it gets bumped up if she has other dui arrests, or a record of any kind (shoplifting etc).

What is the driver going to jail for a long time going to do?? I hope the victims and their families see some type of justice to help them heal. She managed to change many lives that night.
More importantly, I hope the driver lives up to/beyond her actions of that night, it wasn't just that she was drinking, it was also the way she was driving because she was intoxicated. I hope she (and others) learn that drinking will never bring happiness and just maybe...just maybe lives can be save someday in the future.
I only hope that younger (and older) people read the paper and listen to guest speakers when they have the chance. Sadly, most people have to live to learn and many think "it couldn't/wouldn't happen to me".
I can just pray for the people involved and hope that in God's hands something positive comes out of this,may not be tomorrow, and may not be positive for everyone, but hopefully sometime and for someone.

This is just a horrible situation for everyone involved. But four people chose to get in that car that night. One young mother lost her life, the others will live with the pain and weight of this for the rest of their lives.
Should there be jail time? Why on earth not? The death count here could have been much higher, the damages far greater. Innocent people, in other vehicles or settings could have paid a price for a night of fun for four strangers. I've always maintained that if a drunk driver wants to wrap themselves around a tree, that is their choice, but don't take me or my family with you.
In addition, I feel so badly for the little one who will never know her mother. But her mother also owed her some responsibility here. A good friend of mine who works in emergency response and sees first-hand the results of accidents, etc. garaged his Harley when his son was born. Sure he can leave this world at any time, in any way, but he foresaw a possible risk and removed it.
What happened that night was foreseeable. That young mother knew that a night of drinking and getting into a car could very well lead to death and injury. That was clear and evident before anyone took that first swallow, before alcohol could cloud anyone's judgement. When you matter that much to someone else, you guard them from foreseeable risk and loss.
Jail time? Yes. They could have hit another vehicle or two, taking out families in one fell swoop.
Any of us that have been hit by a drunk driver gets this so very clearly. YOUR fun isn't worth MY LIFE.

A simple answer is used in Denmark........That is if you are caught driving drunk, you loose your license for-ever. No hope of ever getting it back, ever.

People in Denmark choose a designated driver and place a pin on them identifying that person as a designated driver. No alcohol is ever offered to that person. They regard that having the privilege to drive is just that.....A privilege, not a right, as some people wrongfully conclude.

Yes, stiff laws and enforced penalties work!!