Marin DA's Office Gets Grant To Prosecute DUI Offenders

MARIN COUNTY, CA -- The Marin County District Attorney's Office has received a renewal of a grant to prosecute serial DUI offenders from arrest through sentencing. The $174,222 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will support a vertical prosecution team comprised of highly trained specialized prosecutors, District Attorney Edward Berberian said. It will cover the upcoming fiscal year.

The grant that has supported the vertical DUI prosecution team over the past several years, Berberian said.

In 2014 there were five deaths and 115 serious injuries as a result of drug and alcohol-related DUI crashes in Marin County.

Members of the prosecution team share information with peers and law enforcement throughout the county and state, Berberian said.

Alcohol remains the most prevalent cause of DUI crashes, but the Office of Traffic Safety and the vertical prosecution team wants to raise awareness with a "DUI Doesn't Just Mean Booze" campaign.

Prescription medications and marijuana also impair drivers, and alone or in combination with alcohol can result in a DUI arrest.

--Bay City News/