NCJ Number
111138
Date Published
1985
Length
62 pages
Annotation
Testimony by judges, district and staff attorneys, public defenders, and other interested parties discuss the impact of California's driving-under-the-influence (DUI) laws on the court system.
Abstract
The provisions of the law are discussed, and it is noted that DUI cases currently constitute about 50 percent of judges' workloads. The effects of law reform on case processing have included increased cases, fewer guilty pleas, increased use of jury trials and case processing times, slightly lower conviction rates, and increased revocation hearings and revocations. The overall effectiveness of the law in reducing DUI also is discussed, and the factors affecting its effectiveness (e.g., law enforcement efforts, severity and imposition of sanction, treatment program success) are analyzed. The costs and benefits of various recommendations for further law reform also are examined. The potential of ignition interlock devices to increase compliance with sanctions, particularly among repeat offenders, and to reduce DUI also is considered.