NORWICH – On Friday, the woman convicted of second degree manslaughter received her criminal sentence pleading guilty to 16 criminal counts – from drunk driving to second-degree manslaughter – after killing 11-year-old Leandra Rosado in a DWI accident.
As a result of the accident, Leandra’s father, Lenny, pushed for stiffer penalties against drunk drivers who endanger the welfare of children – and he succeeded.
The resulting legislation, called Leandra’s Law, makes any DWI charge with children in the vehicle a felony offense and anyone convicted of DWI at all, including first-time offenders, to have an ignition interlock system installed into their vehicle for a minimum of six months, as determined by a judge.
The first part of Leandra’s Law went into effect in January. The latter, and more controversial part, went into effect Aug. 15.