John Duckett, surrounded by family, came to Annapolis, Maryland on Wednesday, to talk about the tragic loss of his 18-year-old son Jamari -- and to help prevent other drunk driving crashes like the one that killed his son.
"We need to get people punished for their actions, and that's what I'm fighting for."
In July of 2022, Jamari was driving home when prosecutors say a drunk driver crashed into his car from behind.
That driver, who was under the influence of alcohol according to prosecutors, was going more than 90 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone.
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Jamari did not survive the crash.
"I lost my son. He was like my best friend," John Duckett said.
That driver was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, and given the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
But Jamari's family, and prosecutors, say because it's considered to be a nonviolent offense, the driver is eligible for parole after serving two and a half years.
Prosecutors and the Duckett family says that's not enough.
"There's nothing else the judicial system can do now," said Jaymi Sterling, the St. Mary's County State's Attorney. "Now it's up to legislators, and the legislators should send a clear message that this is not a socially acceptable form of murder, and we need to raise the penalties."
Jamari's Law would double penalties in Maryland for vehicular manslaughter. The maximum sentence would increase from 10 years to 20 years, and punishment for any subsequent conviction would rise from 15 to 30 years.
"That morning I got the phone call, it changed my life forever," said John Duckett in his testimony at the Maryland state house.
He joined several other families who've lost loved ones to drunk drivers, all testifying in favor of the bill at a House of Delegates committee on Wednesday afternoon.
Some of the heart-wrenching testimony brought a delegate to tears.
John Duckett says his son was the fourth member of his family to die in a DUI crash since 1968. He hopes Jamari is the last.
"It won't just help my family, it'll help the next family," John Duckett says. "And it'll make sure no one would ever have to feel the pain we've been going through."
