Court Monitoring

  THE CHALLEGE

• Drunk driving kills nearly 14,000 people annually and injures countless others. (NHTSA)
• There are around 1.4 million arrests for drunk driving every year. (NHTSA)
• Only 17 percent of impaired drivers who are injured in crashes are charged and convicted.  Eleven percent are charged and not convicted and 72 percent are never charged. (Copeland)

THE SOLUTION

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has developed a court monitoring program to observe drunk driving cases within the criminal justice system and create an environment of accountability.  The program uses trained volunteers in the courtroom to observe cases and note their outcomes on a regular basis.  MADD volunteers are able to build strategic alliances between the law enforcement community, judges, prosecutors, the defense and public defenders create solutions that ensure swift and appropriate sentencing.

 COURT MONITORING GOALS

1. Train volunteers to observe courts on a regular basis to complile information on DW? DUI cases and resulting outcomes
2. Make individuals aware both in the public and in the courts, of community interest regarding the outcome of DWI/DUI cases
3. Improve criminal court proceedings in DWI/DUI cases by gathering datat and using it to further communicate with judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and public defenders in an effort to identify strengths and weaknesses.

COURT MONITORING PROCESS

Train volunteers
Local volunteers are trained in court procedures and data collection related to DWI/DUI cases.

Monitor the courts
Make individuals aware of both in the pubic and in the courts, of community interest regarding the outcome of DWI/DUI cases

Collect data
Improve criminal court proceedings in DWI/DUI cases by gathering data nd using it to further communicate with judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and public defenders in an effort to identify strengths and weaknesses

Identify trends-
Volunteers can record information such as accepted plea bargains and consistency with the offense; the victim’s role in plea agreements; the use of victim impact statement during proceedings; offender punishment including probation, jail time, fines, and license suspension/revocation; and the use of technology, including ignition interlocks, to reduce repeat offenses.

Lend support-
Volunteers share vital information with members of the criminal justice community, including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers and public defenders, and collaborate with them to develop and implement effective solutions.

YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING….

How much training is involved?

Even for a novice, basic training on court monitoring procedures can be completed in a few hours.

How much time will I need if I decide to volunteer?

This is a program with great flexibility.  Cases do not have to be monitored by the same individuals, so if you only have a few hours one morning, another monitor can come back for the afternoon or the next day

.Why should I get involved?

• Get an insider’s look into the criminal court process
• Identify positive aspects of the courts’ procedures
• Make your community safer by helping build a bridge of communication between private citizens and the court system