The eighth judicial district has a new court dedicated specifically to DUI cases. The Larimer County based court started taking cases July 1 and comes on the heels of a fairly successful drug court in the same district. The system is recognizing the effectiveness of specialized courts in cases where alcohol and drug abuse are a central factor.
According to the Loveland Connection the district has graduated 155 people through its drug court since its creation in 2001. Of these graduates, 94% remained crime free in the year following their participation. They hope to have the same sort of positive effect with DUI offenders.
Because drunk driving is the most frequent criminal offense in the country and carries the risk of injury and death to innocent people, it is an issue we frequently hear about. Increasing penalties doesn’t seem to reduce the DUI rates, however, so treatment and prevention are now taking center stage.
DUI courts, like drug courts, provide an avenue for people facing criminal charges to actually get help. They are particularly effective for people who have been to court on multiple occasions for the same related drug and alcohol charges.
These kind of specialized courts use a number of community resources to get people help. This can be in the form of drug and alcohol treatment, counseling, employment assistance, community service, and frequent meetings with the judge.
The new DUI court will only be taking 25 new clients in its first year though there are said to be about 2,500 DUI arrests in Larimer County every year. They simply can’t provide this type of intense intervention to each and every DUI offender.
DUI courts and drug courts aren’t just present in the eighth judicial district. There are a number of specialized courts in the state, and there is a nationwide trend toward more drug courts and DUI courts to emphasize treatment of addiction, and changing dangerous behaviors, and not just punishment.
Contact our Colorado defense attorneys today if you are facing charges and curious about your options in court.
Even if a DUI court isn’t available for your case or situation, we may be able to work out an arrangement with the prosecution to ensure you get the help you need and perhaps even get a lenient sentence.