Angelica's Law would toughen penalties for driving with suspended licenses

ALBANY — A new measure passed by the State Legislature and named for a Long Island 14-year-old girl killed in 2008 would toughen the law for drivers with suspended licenses who cause crashes.

Angelica’s Law would reduce to five the number of prior license suspensions needed to charge a driver with a felony of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree. Currently, a driver must have had his or her license suspended 10 times before the felony could be charged.

The Senate gave final legislative approval to the bill Wednesday; the Assembly passed it June 1. The bill now goes to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her to sign into law or veto.

The measure has been a long time in coming, the result of years of effort by the family and friends of Angelica Nappi of Holbrook. She was killed in Medford in 2008 in a crash on Route 101 involving a car driven by a man whose license had been suspended seven times. Angelica’s mother, Dawn Nappi, pushed for the bill in Albany, which was first introduced in 2017.

“The last 15 years have been quite the journey of ups and downs,” Nappi told Newsday Thursday. “I feel a range of emotions. I’m not celebrating until the governor actually signs the bill … but I am going to stay very prayerful.”

She said anniversaries of Angelica’s death have brought renewed public efforts, and private pain.

“There were times when I felt like throwing in the towel, but I said, ‘You have to hang in there.’ I had to make sure my daughter’s death wasn’t in vain,” she said.

The other driver involved in the accident was released from jail after four months, according to the bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown).

“With the passage of this bill, we are sending a clear message: dangerous drivers who repeatedly break the law will face severe consequences,” Thomas said Wednesday, “I am grateful for Dawn Nappi’s advocacy on behalf of her daughter’s memory.”

“It was a bipartisan effort in both houses,” said the bill’s co-sponsor, Assemb. Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor). “We finally found the compromise that was necessary to move the bill forward.”

Key to the bipartisan compromise was to count only suspensions of licenses that were result of moving violations, rather than because of a lapse in insurance or an administrative problem, said Sen. Dean Murray (R-Patchogue), who worked with Thomas on the bill.

A driver convicted of the Class E felony would face a fine of $500 to $5,000 and a prison term as long as two years, according to the bill text, After four suspensions, drivers will be notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles "in bold and conspicuous type" that a fifth suspension or revocation for a moving violation would subject them to the felony.

“This is how it’s supposed to work, you work together on good bills to protect and keep and keep New Yorkers safe,” Murray said. “I’ve never been happier to vote ‘yes’ on a bill.”

Murray and Thiele credited Dawn Nappi for the passage of the bill.

“I spoke with Dawn Nappi this morning and she was inspiring,” Thiele said in an interview. “Her perseverance is what made this bill happen … the bill will provide a real deterrence to driving with a suspended or revoked license.”

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.