by Deepa Bharath, The Los Angeles TimesNEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — A new program at the Harbor Justice Center is expected to take drunken drivers off the street in an area notorious for producing the most DUI offenders in all of California, officials said.
DUI Court, a two-year pilot program funded by a $1.03-million grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, is designed to keep people from repeatedly driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs by increasing treatment, supervision and accountability, said Teresa Risi, collaborative courts manager for the Orange County Superior Court.
When a second- or third-time offender is pulled over in Newport-Mesa or Irvine, they may qualify for DUI Court. If they are accepted into the program, a judge stays their jail sentence while they successfully complete the rigorous program, which will include attending classes and working with probation officers. Offenders serve their jail time after completing the program, although the time served may be reduced, Risi said.
The program is modeled after Drug Court, which has been running successfully in Orange County for the last 10 years, she said. Drug Court requires offenders to undergo substance-abuse treatment in addition to education, formal supervision and random testing.
“But unlike Drug Court, participants of this program will have to serve out their mandatory jail sentence,” Risi said. “The program does not replace jail time, but it may reduce it depending on the judge.”
Participants in the DUI Court will be under constant “judicial supervision,” she said.
“They will be required to come back and see the judge every few weeks,” Risi said. “They will be contacted by their probation officer and will receive both group and individual therapy.”
To qualify for the program, participants must plead guilty to the offense, be second- or third-time offenders, live within the jurisdiction of the Harbor Justice Center and acknowledge that they have a substance-abuse problem, she said. The program will not admit those who have been convicted of serious or violent crimes or of selling drugs, Risi said.
There is only one other similar program in the state, which is in Northern California, she said.
“We hope this will reduce recidivism and make our communities safer,” Risi said.
DUI Court will be held once a week in H7, the courtroom of Orange County Superior Court Judge Carlton Biggs, who will oversee the program.
DUI Court is a collaborative effort on the part of many agencies to try to change the basic behavioral pattern of the repeat offenders, said Reidel Post, executive director of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Orange County chapter.
“It’s important to give this a good shot here in Orange County,” said Post, who was part of a committee that set up the new program.
It’s also important to note that unlike the Drug Court, where all charges are dropped after the person successfully completes the program, drunken-driving charges won’t be erased, she said.
“Instead, this program offers an additional menu of choices for proactive work,” Post said.
Motivation for participants would probably come from a reduction in jail time, she said.
“But this is not a cookie-cutter program,” Post said. “There are a good number of people who have a problem with alcohol and drugs who deserve help. They seek out help in the first place because they’ve hit rock bottom.”
The program has the full support of local law enforcement, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said.
“We’re in favor of this program, and it is now a part of our DUI-enforcement strategies,” he said. “We have our own methods of enforcement, such as special DUI patrols and sobriety checkpoints. DUI Court complements what we already have in place.”