MARYLAND, USA — Starting this Tuesday, Maryland’s roads will be a little safer, thanks to the tireless efforts of one family turning tragedy into action. On Oct. 1, a new provision of “Noah’s Law” will take effect, closing what advocates have long considered a dangerous loophole in Maryland’s DUI legislation. For Richard Leotta, the father of fallen Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, this day marks a bittersweet victory in a years-long fight to honor his son’s legacy and protect others from the devastating impact of drunk driving.
Officer Noah Leotta, just 24 years old, was tragically killed on December 3, 2015, by a drunk driver while working on the Holiday Alcohol Task Enforcement at Rockville Pike. The driver, who had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, crashed into Noah, cutting his young life short.
In the wake of Noah’s death, his father, Richard Leotta, became a passionate advocate for stricter DUI laws. The result was “Noah’s Law,” passed in 2016, which required drivers arrested for DUI to install an ignition interlock system in their cars, a device that prevents a vehicle from starting unless the driver passes a breathalyzer test.
But a last-minute change to the original law meant that only convicted DUI offenders were required to use the interlock. Those given probation before judgment (PBJ)—a common outcome for DUI cases in Maryland—were exempt from the requirement. This loophole, which allowed many offenders to escape the consequences of ignition interlocks, troubled Leotta deeply.
“Sixty percent of DUI offenders get PBJs,” Leotta explained. “I am okay with leniency, but make it conditioned on the interlock.”
For the past six years, Leotta has fought tirelessly to close this gap in the law. Finally, this past legislative session, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill requiring ignition interlocks for people placed on probation for driving under the influence, marking the final step in making Noah’s Law “whole.”
When the law goes into effect on October 1, Leotta believes it will save countless lives, fulfilling the mission he’s been on since losing his son. “Now, Noah will be on patrol, 24/7, saving more lives,” he said. “That’s what I’m happy about.”
For Leotta, this isn’t just about legal victories. It’s about ensuring that the lives lost to impaired driving, including his own son’s, weren’t in vain. He credits a group effort for the law’s passage, acknowledging the strength of the community and the persistence of advocates who stood by him through years of legislative battles.