Congratulations to all of the area media outlets for their coverage of the signing of Sen. Gary Nodler's bill, Senate Bill 37, Jessica's Law, which increases the penalties against drunk drivers who kill, and requires that they serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. I would love to see the penalties be even tougher, but this is a good step.
There is great interest in the story in this area, not just because of what happened to James Dodson, Neosho, and his eight-year-old granddaughter Jessica Mann of Joplin, who were killed by drunk driver Edward Meerwald last July, but because there have been so many of these horrible accidents that have occurred over the years and so many of them have come at the hands of people who don't think twice about getting behind the wheel of a car when they're drunk...over and over again.
What makes the situation even worse for the Mann and Dodson families is that Meerwald, after spending only a few months in jail is trying to get out of his sentence...even though he was the one who pleaded guilty.
Hopefully, that appeal will go nowhere and Meerwald will stay right where he belongs for the length of his sentence.
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