In addition, he supervises trial and support personnel with the goal of achieving swifter disposition of cases with appropriate levels of punishment. Over the same period of time, DWI arrests decreased from 6200 to 5623. There were 5287 cases completed in 1998. This success is a result of the Office's strong commitment to stop drunk driving. This Office realized that one way to prosecute DWIs is to prevent DWIs.
Prevention is the best way to alleviate the injuries and fatalities caused by the drunk driver.
We estimate that 25 to 33 percent of DWI defendants are recidivists. To reduce this number we now require an alcohol evaluation as part of any plea reduction given to the first time DWI offender. An important aspect of the STOP-DWI Program is the development of good trial attorneys. In the Office's trial practice course, different aspects of DWI litigation are taught to the new staff members by assistants with years of trial experience. The ADAs are given a fact pattern of an actual DWI case and simulate all phases of the DWI trial.