A late-night traffic stop in Poughkeepsie ended with a felony DWI arrest after state troopers say a 39-year-old woman was caught driving drunk with two children in her vehicle. The kids, ages 10 and 13, were not hurt and were released to a sober third party. The driver now faces felony counts under Leandra’s Law and is scheduled to appear in Poughkeepsie court next week.
The traffic stop
Troopers from the Wappinger barracks pulled over a GMC traveling southbound on Church Street at about 12:58 a.m. Saturday. They identified the driver as Deneen C. Majors, 39, of Poughkeepsie, and said she showed signs of intoxication and failed standardized field sobriety tests.
Majors was taken to the Wappinger barracks for processing, where troopers say she refused a chemical breath test and the two children were turned over to a sober third party. According to the Poughkeepsie DWI arrest release, Majors was charged with two counts of aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger under Leandra’s Law, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, an unclassified DWI misdemeanor and related traffic violations.
Court date and next steps
Majors was issued traffic tickets returnable to City of Poughkeepsie Court on April 27 at 8 a.m., according to Daily Voice. She is expected to appear before a judge next week, where the case will begin moving through the county's criminal docket as prosecutors decide whether to file formal charges.
What Leandra's Law means
Leandra’s Law upgrades a DWI to a class E felony when a child 15 or younger is a passenger, with potential penalties that include prison time, fines, mandatory ignition interlock devices and license sanctions, according to the Division of Criminal Justice Services. The agency also notes that refusing a properly requested chemical test triggers separate administrative DMV proceedings that can result in an immediate suspension of driving privileges.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and the April 27 hearing is the next public step in the case. Local residents with information about the incident can contact Troop K public information officers listed in the state police release.
