He said he doesn't deal with the laws, but he ended up getting fifteen out of twenty years and owes $69 million in damages (he definitely won't be able to pay that much), so he deals with them now. Surprisingly, if he gets arrested for drunk driving again after he gets out of prison, it would be a misdemeanor the first two times, since he was charged with and convicted of manslaughter, not intoxication manslaughter (if he was convicted of the latter, he would be facing up to twenty years if he was arrested for drunk driving after he gets out). Manslaughter is easier to prove than intoxication manslaughter and they're both punishable by up to twenty years, which is why he was charged with it.
After the verdict, the Beatty family's attorney, Michael Stacy, released this statement:
"With its verdict, the jury sent a clear message that this community will not tolerate intoxicated drivers needlessly and recklessly endangering the lives of others. The verdict was a reflection of the remarkable but short life of Carly Beatty and the magnitude of Suzanne and Robert Beatty's loss. This case was never about money for the Beattys. The wrongful death case was pursued because they wanted Mr. Puga to know about the beautiful, kind, young woman's life that he took. Most importantly, the Beattys hope that the message sent by the jury will deter similar conduct in the future and spare other parents from their worst nightmare - the loss of a child."
Beatty was an animal science major at Texas A&M with the aspiration of becoming a vet. In her honor, her family created a nonprofit called Carly's Way to continue her dream of helping animals in need.