St. Louis County Proposes DWI Court

By Alison Gonzalez

Published on January 07, 2008

The new DWI court program, modeled after drug court programs, will focus on intensive treatment and monitoring of felony DWI offenders, or those with four or more DWIs in ten years.

Under the program, cases can move through the court immediately, instead of over the course of a few months. Research shows immediate intervention increases the chances of a smoother recovery.

Offenders will be screened by a probation officer for eligibility and be placed on electronic monitoring. Offenders in the program will have to submit to random testing and complete a chemical health assessment, as well as appear in court on a weekly basis.

A similar program is underway in Ramsey County, where it has been successful. The court has had 56 participants, 12 of which have graduated and 35 of which are still currently in the 15- to 18-month program.

St. Louis County is currently ranked number four in the state when it comes to the number of DWI incidents. Approximately 30 people in the county can be considered felony DWI offenders.

The court is set to begin on January 25 with the help of an $80,000 grant. Anyone who is arrested for DWI after January 18 will be screened for eligibility.

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