Bryan Durman Act to tighten penalty for criminal homicide passes Senate

A bill to tighten the penalty for those convicted of criminal homicide cleared the Senate on Wednesday and now goes to the House.

Senate Bill 15 would classify criminal homicide as a violent offense, which requires those convicted of such crimes to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. The measure has become known as the Bryan Durman Act. It is sponsored by Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington, and is named in memory of Lexington police officer Bryan Durman who has killed by a hit-and-run driver while in the line of duty in 2010.

Glenn Doneghy was convicted of second degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

But under Kentucky law, Doneghy is only required to serve 20 percent of the sentence, which, in his case, is 4 years because his offense was classified as non-violent.

While the bill will not change Doneghy’s possibility for parole, it would affect all future offenders if it becomes law.

Brandy Durman, widow of Bryan Durman, attended the vote Wednesday.

“We worked an entire year to get it at this point and it just shows us our legislators want to do something to protect our law enforcement and our firefighters when they’re out doing their duty,” she said.