Ventura County Revises DUI Policies
The Ventura County court system boasts a long-standing reputation as one of the harshest in the state, especially when it comes to DUI enforcement. The D.A.'s office refuses to plea bargain DUI cases to lesser charges. And judges impose jail time even on first offense cases with no aggravating circumstances.
But the County's DUI polices have seen a round of changes starting July 1, 2009. First-time DUI defendants with a low BAC are now offered "no jail time" deals. And the Hall of Justice has all but done away with DUI pre-trials, now forcing defendants to settle their cases in arraignment court or else set them for trial. If a case gets set for trial, the "no jail time" deal is off the table and offers go up.
"The court's dockets are simply overloaded with DUI cases," says Ventura County DUI attorney Darrell York. "It's unsustainable. So these policy changes are an effort to settle more DUI cases early and quickly." The courts are using a carrot and a stick. The incentive is a waiver of jail time for the more innocuous cases that plead out early. The stick is "upping" the potential sentencing for cases that don't.
