San Rafael, CA - The Marin County District Attorney’s Office received a $453,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a specialized two-person prosecution team that handles cases of alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers that occur in Marin County.
“Marin County is safer thanks to the hard work and experience of our Vertical DUI Prosecution Team (VDPT),” District Attorney Lori E. Frugoli said. “Our VDPT would not be possible without the generous funding by the Office of Traffic Safety, which provides the necessary financial means to successfully prosecute serial DUI drivers and to keep Marin highways and streets safe for all drivers and pedestrians. By renewing our grant funding for the upcoming fiscal year, OTS has allowed us to continue this critically important public safety program.”
“Impaired driving is a growing problem, particularly with drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “This program allows us to focus specifically on holding those who decide to drive impaired accountable for their actions.”
The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to provide training to other prosecutors and investigations, as well as collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best practices handling and managing driving under the influence cases.
This is the 12th year the Marin County DA’s Office has received funding from the OTS for a DUI prosecution program. Last year the Marin office filed a total of 935 DUI cases. That includes 42 drug DUIs and nine combined alcohol and drug cases.
The grant program runs from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
The OTS program is funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.