Bee Staff

The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office is muscling up against DUI offenders who kill and maim, thanks to a $1 million boost.

District Attorney Jan Scully announced Friday the receipt of a $1 million grant to form a team for the prosecution and prevention of DUI-related injuries or deaths, according to a news release.

The two-year grant will fund a specialized team to prosecute DUIs that result in death or serious injury and a DUI community awareness program focused on educating juvenile and adult drivers and potential passengers of the dangers of DUI drivers, the release states.

The goal of this two-pronged approach is to not only to reduce the number of DUI-related injuries and fatalities but also to reduce DUI driving in general in Sacramento County, Scully said.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Here is how Scully said the prosecution and community awareness programs will work:

Prosecutors assigned to this team will undergo extensive specialized training in the area of collision reconstruction and other scientific disciplines related to such cases.

Each case will be prosecuted "vertically," meaning one prosecutor will litigate the case from beginning to end.

Having specialized prosecutors dedicated to these DUI cases will allow for more effective prosecution and accountability of offenders. Victims and families of victims will also be aided by the vertical prosecution team as they will have a single contact person who knows all the facts and issues of their case from arraignment to judgment and sentencing.

Through the DA's Office, a community services officer will present the driving safety program - "Driving it Home" - to juvenile and adults in Sacramento County.

Using personal stories, graphic video, photo displays, and the wrecked vehicle of a 17 -year old boy who died as a result of his injuries in a collision, "Driving It Home" uses emotional impact to help people understand how their decisions affect others.

Emphasis is also placed on helping potential passengers develop the behavioral tools and confidence to prevent DUI driving and to protect themselves from riding with an intoxicated driver.

"Repeat and felony DUI offenders are over-represented in bad crashes," said Christopher Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "This effort will help prosecute the worst-of-the-worst offenders, while working to keep alcohol involved crashes from happening in the first place."

"This DUI vertical prosecution team will undoubtedly save lives through targeted enforcement and wide-spread education to prevent future DUIs," Scully said.