Hall County to help pioneer DUI courts in Georgia

GAINESVILLE - Hall County has been selected as one of three counties in Georgia to pioneer a special court program designed to reduce drunk driving on Georgia's roads.

The program will focus on intensive monitoring of individuals convicted of driving under the influence and providing continued judicial review until individuals complete all the requirements of their sentences, including treatment. Proponents say similar programs throughout the nation have demonstrated success in significantly reducing the incidence of repeat DUI offenses.

The project is funded by the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, which awarded $474,138 to the Administrative Office of the Courts of Georgia (AOC), a state agency, to create three special DUI Courts in Hall County, Athens-Clarke County, and Chatham County. These DUI Courts will then come under the jurisdiction of the State Courts of each of these counties. This model may then be utilized in other Georgia cities.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, impaired drivers were involved in an average of 27 motor vehicle crashes each day in 1998. In the same year, there were 9,788 alcohol or drug related traffic crashes in Georgia, resulting in 8,359 injuries and 498 deaths. It is expected that the close supervision and treatment of convicted DUI offenders through the new courts will reduce the number of impaired drivers on Georgia's roads and the number who drive on suspended licenses.

Hall, Athens-Clarke, and Chatham Counties were selected as demonstration sites for the new program because they already have Drug Courts and are familiar with the concept of special courts. In addition, Hall County is an ethnically diverse community with a growing Hispanic population and will be providing treatment for both English and Spanish speaking offenders. Athens-Clarke County has a large student population and a high incidence of alcohol-related offenses and Chatham County has a large tourism industry.

The grant from the state will fund the assessment of the offender, the tracking software to monitor an offender's compliance with the program and progress, and salaries for a DUI Court Director, and Case Management Clerk. The DUI Court Office will monitor the offender's progress and coordinate with private service providers. The grant will not pay for alcohol treatment or other services. Payment for these services is the responsibility of the offender. The offender shall further be required to complete all imposed jail time, fines and other conditions of sentencing. The program combines proven treatment methods with intensive reviews in court to monitor each participant's progress.

Debra Nesbit, Project Director for the Administrative Office of the Courts, said, "We believe intensive supervision with judicial oversight is more effective in reducing repeat DUI offenses than simply mandating a set of administrative sanctions."

The Hall County State Court began assigning participants to DUI Court on March 19, 2003, and Hall County Chief State Court Judge Charles S. Wynne is presiding over the DUI Court sessions and is providing the judicial duties for the program as part of the overall State Court duties. The first DUI Court Session was held on April 3, 2003.