Hall DUI Court marks 2nd anniversary

GAINESVILLE - Hall County DUI Court just celebrated its second anniversary, and now has more than 200 offenders mandated to the program.

Executive Director Michael Devine says 69 participants have graduated from the DUI court, which was instituted in March 2003 - and there's been only one has had a new DUI arrest," a much, much better rate than was expected.

This project was initially funded by the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, through the Administrative Office of the Courts of Georgia (AOC).

There have been three pilot DUI Courts started with this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant, one in Hall County, one in Athens-Clarke County, and one in Chatham County in Georgia. These DUI Courts come under the jurisdiction of the State Courts of each of these counties. This model is being utilized in Troup County, DeKalb County, and Gwinnett County with other Georgia counties looking to follow the lead of the startup programs.

Through the close supervision and treatment of convicted DUI offenders, following appropriate jail sentences, the DUI Court programs will reduce the number of impaired drivers on Georgia's roads and the number who drive on suspended licenses, according to officials with the program.

"Being named as one of the 3 pilot DUI Court Programs statewide has been an exciting and fulfilling opportunity for the Hall County State Court," said Chief State Court Judge Charles S. Wynne. "It is important to combine appropriate jail sentences with treatment and further Court supervision to effectively address Multiple DUI offenders. This Program continues to achieve significant results both from a public safety standpoint and in its positive impact on the lives of the participants and their families."

The Hall County DUI Court Program has been recognized in two national articles, one that came out of the George Washington University Medical Center entitled, "Team Approach to Drug Treatment Shows Promise in Improving Traffic Safety" and the other from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Newsletter titled, "Spotlighting a Georgia DUI/Drug Court: Making a Difference