S1154 cliffnotes - burglary, disturbing schools, and licenses
Burglary:
Burglary second degree under 16-11-312 (A) is now punishable by up to 10 years (it was 15 years). But, burglary 2nd degree under subsection (B) is still punishable by up to 15 years and parole eligibility is at 1/3 of the sentence. The difference is subsection (A) is a straight-up burglary second, where someone breaks into a dwelling - a place where a person lives - and there are no aggravating circumstances. Subsection (B) is a burglary 3rd degree, where someone breaks into a building - a place where people do not live - and there are aggravating circumstances that bump it up to a burglary 2nd degree.
So, under the new statute, if you break into a person's home you get less time than if you break into a building where people do not live. That makes sense.
Disturbing schools:
The disturbing schools statute was amended to give magistrate courts jurisdiction when an adult is charged with disturbing schools - because it is punishable by 90 days, magistrates could not hear these cases without an express provision giving them jurisdiction (unless otherwise stated in a statute, magistrates only have jurisdiction to hear offenses punishable by 30 days or less).
Licenses:
56-1-440 was also amended to give magistrate courts jurisdiction - when someone is charged with driving without a license (not driving under suspension; this applies when the person never had a license to begin with), second offense is punishable by up to 45 days and third offense for 45 days to 6 months.
Payment plan: S1154 adds 56-1-395, which allows a person, if all suspensions have been served, to get a temporary license that will last 6 months while they make payments on their reinstatement fees.
Amnesty: It also adds 56-1-396, which provides that the DMV must create a one-week amnesty period each year - if a person's license is suspended, but all of their fees have been paid and all other conditions met, if the person applies during the one week amnesty period, the DMV must reinstate their license and all qualifying suspensions will be cleared.
Both of the last two exclude suspensions for DUI offenses - but if a person has multiple suspensions for DUI and for something else, they can apply and have the qualifying suspension cleared and then just serve out the DUI suspension.
