OCDA Leads Drug Impaired Driving Task Force, DA's Office Says

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA —With the decriminalization of marijuana, California expects to see a rise in the number of drug impaired driving cases that will be investigated and prosecuted by statewide law enforcement entities.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Appellate and Training Unit has assumed its role as the statewide lead training agency in the area of traffic safety for law enforcement and prosecutors. OCDA has been working in partnership with the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) since 2011.

"In Orange County, the crime lab reported a 40 percent increase in drug impaired driving submissions from 2015 to 2016," OCDA spokesperson, Chief of Staff Susan Kang Schroeder said. Several years ago, OCDA developed a multi-agency collaborative driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) prosecution, investigation and toxicology model which has served as the innovative foundation for the development of a statewide DUID program according to Kang Schroeder.

"In October 2016, OCDA's Appellate and Training Unit expanded their training role to the Southern California region serving as the lead agency in prosecution and law enforcement training, including the delivery of live trainings, roundtables, training videos, and legal updates," Kang Schroeder said. "OCDA was recently asked to be the architect of a new statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor and training program. As part of this process, OCDA will align law enforcement and prosecution agencies throughout the state to create a massive statewide training, resource and education network."

This new responsibility offers OCDA the opportunity to share its expertise in the area of traffic safety as we work in partnership with our statewide partners to proactively investigate and prosecute traffic related crimes.

"It is the goal of OCDA and OTS to ultimately increase public safety in all jurisdictions throughout California," she said.

The Appellate and Training Unit is headed by Assistant District Attorney Keith Bogardus. Assistant Heads of Court Susan Price and Nichole Nicholson and Deputy District Attorney Brian Orue oversee and administer all OTS grant operations.

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