(10/18/06) WOODBURY ? When a jury convicted Martin Heidgen of murder Tuesday, they may have ushered in a new standard for DWI penalties in Nassau County.

Heidgen, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder for killing two people while driving drunk last year on the Meadowbrook Parkway. A landmark case, this is the first time in Nassau history a DWI murder case resulted in a guilty murder verdict. Some lawyers believe if the appeals process upholds the decision, future cases will more likely be decided as murder. Drunk driving activists hope Heidgen?s case acts as a deterrent to prospective drunk drivers. They say the perception that DWI arrests are weakly punished has always made their efforts more difficult.

State Senator Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) says more than 45,000 DWI arrests and 500 DWI-related deaths occur each year in New York. He says the most fatalities occur on Long Island.

Heidgen, of Valley Stream, faces 25 years to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 20.

Related Information: Jury decides Heidgen's a murderer in Meadowbrook Parkway crash