Besides law enforcement, the only other sure contact with the legal system for the arrested impaired driver is with the courts. The court system is the point where an impaired driver will face definitive legal outcomes. If the outcome is an adjudication of guilt, then the court system is the primary sanctioning authority. The court’s sanctioning authority allows it to address both public safety concerns and treatment alternatives for the offender.

Naturally, the judiciary must remain impartial and not take a blanket stance on the impaired driving issue, nor make public statements about the crime. However, the judiciary can take the lead in implementing permissible sentencing guidelines. The judiciary can educate the general public about impaired driving issues and consequences. Judges are leaders in their communities and the public listens when judges speak.

The following suggestions could help your plan for 3D Prevention Month, and your quest to become a safe community.

Ideas for 3D Prevention Month Activities

• Seek out a judicial representative to serve as a speaker for media public service announcements.

• Have a member of the judiciary speak to driver education classes about impaired driving legal issues.

• Request assistance in the distribution of impaired driving topic flyers through probation departments.

• Work with your local high school, college, or university to arrange for young adults to attend impaired driving arraignments and dispositional hearings during the holiday season.

Year Round Activities

• Sponsor a contest for local students to design posters for the annual Lifesavers conferences.

• Participate in or organize a local drug and alcohol coalition or Safe Communities coalition. The coalition might include representatives from schools, civic groups, major employers, the chamber of commerce, law enforcement, mental health providers, the medical community, the ministerial community, and the media.

Success Story

Lawrenceburg, Indiana Court Secures Grant for Drug and Alcohol Screening
By participating in a local drug-free community coalition, the Dearborn County Court, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, was able to secure grant money earmarked for use on drug and alcohol projects. The court used the grant funds to purchase drug screening kits and alcohol-sensor instruments for its probation department and to pay for lab analysis. Grant money was used to pay overtime to uniformed police officers to assist the probation officers in performing alcohol and drug testing on probationers at their homes and work sites.

Without this grant money, the “no consumption” rule of probation would be unenforceable. The court’s original budget did not allow for these expenses.