LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — After making its way through the Louisiana House of Representatives, the Segus Jolivette Act has officially been signed into Louisiana law.

The new law has put two new rules in place:

1. Resisting a police officer with force or violence can now lead to a second-degree murder charge if it results in death.
2. Drug dealers can now be charged with manslaughter if the substance they distribute causes someones death, even if passed through another person.

State Representative Chad Boyer says while he is happy the law passed, the initial bill also carried mandatory jail sentences for repeat violent offenders.

To be specific, the initial bill required harsher sentences for repeat violent offenders, with a third conviction resulting in a mandatory sentence that is at least 50% of the maximum penalty for a first-time offense, and a fourth conviction leading to at least 75%. It also allowed a jury to hear about prior convictions in court.

While there were setbacks from having that part of the bill included in the law, Boyer says there is already plans to bring these additional points to the next legislative session.

Carrying on the goal put in place that said Nyjal Hurst would have still been in jail if these rules were in effect, therefore the standoff in Jeanerette would have never taken place.

“I don’t want anything to fall through the cracks,” said Boyer. “I don’t want any loopholes there. We want to make sure we’re covered. And when someone is sentenced, that there they remain in jail. Like anything else, there are sometimes where there is a loophole or things just slip through the cracks, and we want to make sure that we have every detail covered and make sure that this something like this never happens again.”

Speaking to the Jolivette family earlier today, they say they are honored to see his name continue to live on in Louisiana history.

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