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Judges

The judiciary can and should have an important role in reducing the prevalence of hardcore drunk driving and the deaths and injuries it causes. A growing number of judges, judicial educators, and organizations across the United States have developed and adopted promising and innovative programs to address underage drinking and hardcore drunk driving.

These efforts are necessary because drunk driving cases present the most challenging legal and evidentiary issues a judge can hear in a courtroom and hardcore drunk driving cases present even thornier challenges for the judiciary.

Judges who handle drunk driving cases must ask themselves what sentencing strategies and treatment interventions are available to prevent and discourage the hardcore offender from recidivating. Responsibility.org works with judicial partners, including our Judicial Education Advisory Panel, to create resources that provide education about the importance of assessment and individualized sentencing for the DUI offender population.

These efforts are not limited to adults; in consultation with a panel of experts in the field, we have created resources for juvenile court judges and judicial educators as well. Instances of underage drinking are also early chances in an individual’s life to prevent future substance abuse issues and/or identify unsatisfied needs at home or co-occurring mental health concerns.

For more information, take a look at the DUI Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment page and A Guide to DUI Pre-Trial Services and the resources below.