--- title: "Braun's Law 2027: Why California DUI Plea Deals Now Come With a Murder Warning" description: "Starting January 1, 2027, a DUI that is pled down to a wet reckless or another lesser charge will come with the same on-the-record murder warning as a DUI conviction. Here is what Braun's Law changes, why prosecutors care, and what it means for plea deals." url: "https://www.thehfirm.com/blog/brauns-law-2027-california-dui-plea-deals" site: "H Law Group" published: "2026-10-05T17:00:00.000Z" --- # Braun's Law 2027: Why California DUI Plea Deals Now Come With a Murder Warning Starting January 1, 2027, a DUI that is pled down to a wet reckless or another lesser charge will come with the same on-the-record murder warning as a DUI conviction. Here is what Braun's Law changes, why prosecutors care, and what it means for plea deals. Category: DUI Law Author: Nima Haddadi -- One of top-rated California DUI and criminal defense lawyer Starting January 1, 2027, a plea bargain that gets a DUI charge reduced to something else will carry a warning that used to come only with a DUI conviction: if you drive impaired again and someone dies, you can be charged with murder. That is the core of Braun's Law, SB 907, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed on September 25, 2026 along with three other DUI bills. The change is narrow on paper. In practice it reaches one of the most common ways DUI cases end in California, and it explains why this bill carries the name of an 18-year-old from Los Angeles. ## What Braun's Law changes SB 907 adds a new subdivision to [Vehicle Code 23635](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB907). When a defendant pleads guilty or no contest to "a different or lesser offense" as a substitute for a DUI charge under Vehicle Code 23152, the court now has to give the advisement described in Vehicle Code 23593. Before this bill, that advisement attached to a DUI conviction. A person whose DUI was negotiated down to a wet reckless (Vehicle Code 23103.5), a dry reckless, or another charge could walk out of court without ever hearing it. SB 907 is effective January 1, 2027, the default start date for bills signed during a regular session under article IV, section 8 of the California Constitution. It is Chapter 443 of the 2026 statutes. ## What the murder advisement is, and why prosecutors care about it The advisement in [Vehicle Code 23593](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=23593) tells the defendant, on the record, that driving under the influence is extremely dangerous to human life, and that if they drive impaired and someone is killed, they can be charged with murder. That warning matters because of how California handles fatal DUI crashes. Many are charged as vehicular manslaughter. A prosecutor who wants a second-degree murder charge, often called a [Watson murder](/blog/watson-murder-california) after the California Supreme Court's 1981 decision in People v. Watson, has to prove implied malice: that the driver knew the conduct endangered life and acted with conscious disregard anyway. An advisement on the record from an earlier case is among the most persuasive evidence of that knowledge a prosecutor can offer. Braun's Law does not change what murder is. It changes who gets the warning, which changes who prosecutors can later argue knew the risk. ## The case behind the law Braun Levi was a tennis player at Loyola High School. Early on May 4, 2025, he was struck and killed while crossing Sepulveda Boulevard at Ronda Drive in Manhattan Beach. In December 2025, the [Los Angeles County District Attorney](https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/woman-charged-murder-dui-crash-killed-loyola-high-school-tennis-star) charged the driver with murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and driving on a suspended license. The driver has pleaded not guilty, and the case is pending. According to [CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/09/california-new-dui-laws-2026/), the driver had a prior DUI arrest, and Braun's Law grew out of a problem that case illustrated: an earlier DUI charge that is resolved as a lesser offense leaves no advisement in the record. Braun's mother, Jennifer Levi, pushed for the bill alongside its author, Sen. Bob Archuleta, whose own granddaughter was killed by a repeat drunk driver, CalMatters reported. ## What this means for DUI plea deals starting in 2027 Reducing a first DUI to a wet reckless has long been one of the more common negotiated outcomes in California, particularly where the BAC was near 0.08% or the evidence had problems. That option still exists after Braun's Law. A wet reckless is still a different conviction with lighter penalties than a DUI. What changes is the record. From January 1, 2027, a person who takes that kind of plea will receive the same advisement as someone convicted of DUI. Two points are worth understanding: - A wet reckless already counted as a prior. Under existing law, a 23103.5 conviction counts toward the 10-year lookback that raises the penalties for a later DUI. Braun's Law adds the murder advisement on top of that. - The advisement only matters if there is a future offense. It doesn't add jail time, fines or license consequences to the case being resolved. Its weight comes later, in any future case involving impaired driving and a death. Whether a reduced plea makes sense still depends on the facts of a particular case, the strength of the evidence, and the person's record. Those are questions to work through with a defense attorney before accepting an offer. ## The hit-and-run piece of SB 907 The bill also raises penalties under Vehicle Code 20001 for hit-and-run drivers with a DUI-related conviction in the previous 10 years. Qualifying priors include DUI, a wet reckless, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (Penal Code 191.5), and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence (Penal Code 192(c)(1)). - Hit-and-run causing injury, with a qualifying prior: two, three or four years in state prison, or up to one year in county jail. - Hit-and-run causing death or permanent, serious injury, with a qualifying prior: three, four or five years in state prison, or 90 days to one year in county jail. ## The other three bills Newsom signed Braun's Law was one of four. The others: - AB 1546 (Asm. Nick Schultz), effective January 1, 2027: a third DUI within 10 years becomes a wobbler that can be charged as a felony, and a fifth or later DUI within 10 years becomes a straight felony. - AB 1685 (Asm. Tom Lackey), operative January 1, 2031: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated counts as three DMV points instead of two. - AB 1687, Irene's Law (Asm. Tom Lackey), operative January 1, 2031: a six-year suspension for a DUI causing injury with four or more priors, with an ignition interlock required for any restricted license. We break down each bill, with a before-and-after table of repeat DUI penalties, in our explainer on [the new California DUI laws for 2027](/new-california-dui-laws-2027). ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Braun's Law apply to my old wet reckless? The new advisement requirement applies when a plea is entered, so it is aimed at pleas taken on or after January 1, 2027. It doesn't reopen cases that are already closed. An older wet reckless can still count as a prior for DUI sentencing if it falls inside the 10-year window. ### Does Braun's Law make it easier to be charged with murder? Indirectly. It doesn't change the legal definition of murder. It puts the murder advisement on the record in cases that end in a reduced plea, and prosecutors can use that advisement as evidence of implied malice if there is a later fatal crash. ### Is a wet reckless still worth taking after 2027? That depends entirely on the case. A wet reckless still carries lighter penalties than a DUI conviction. The new advisement adds no penalty to the current case but becomes part of the record. ### When does Braun's Law take effect? January 1, 2027. ## Sources - [SB 907 (Archuleta), Chapter 443, Statutes of 2026: bill text](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB907), California Legislative Information - [Vehicle Code section 23593](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=23593), California Legislative Information - [Governor Newsom signs Braun's Law and package of bills to crack down on DUI offenders](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-brauns-law-and-package-of-bills-to-crack-down-on-dui-offenders/), Office of the Governor, September 25, 2026 - [Woman charged with murder in DUI crash that killed Loyola High School tennis star](https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/woman-charged-murder-dui-crash-killed-loyola-high-school-tennis-star), Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, December 29, 2025 - [California's new DUI laws](https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/09/california-new-dui-laws-2026/), CalMatters, September 25, 2026 - [AB 1546 bill text](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1546), California Legislative Information ## About Nima Haddadi Nima Haddadi is a leading California DUI and criminal defense attorney with deep expertise in handling complex cases. Known for strategic defense and courtroom strength, he is a trusted choice for clients facing DUI, felony, and misdemeanor charges. --- ## Contact H Law Group - Phone: (888) 499-4948 (phones answered 24/7) - Email: info@thehlawgroup.com - Free consultation: https://www.thehfirm.com/free-consultation - Contact form: https://www.thehfirm.com/contact-us ### Offices - Los Angeles Branch: 714 W Olympic Blvd, Suite 803, Los Angeles, CA 90015 -- (213) 463-5888 - San Diego Branch: 600 W Broadway, Suite 700, San Diego, CA 92101 -- (619) 257-6655 - San Jose Branch: 333 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95110 -- (408) 547-9982 - Orange County Branch: 2030 Main St, Suite 1300, Irvine, CA 92614 -- (949) 356-9818 - Riverside County Branch: 41593 Winchester Rd, Suite 200, Temecula, CA 92590 -- (951) 327-7161 - Santa Barbara Branch: 1117 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 -- (888) 499-4948 ### Disclaimer This website provides general legal information only and does not create an attorney-client relationship. 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