Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 12/12/06

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DISTRICT ATTORNEYS SUPPORT
"MAKE IT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS" ANTI- D.U.I. PROGRAM

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua, Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian and Napa District Attorney Gary Lieberstein announced today that they will join other District Attorneys throughout the state to unveil a program directed toward increasing the rate of driving under the influence convictions and reducing the number of traffic fatalities.

District Attorney Passalacqua stated, "When nearly 43% of all DUI arrests involving a traffic collision results in an injury or fatality, we need to make a concerted effort to reduce the number of casualties and protect our citizens on the roadway."

The Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through a $3.4 million grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The California District Attorneys Association, under the direction of Executive Director David LaBahn, will provide the program services under the grant.

The program will augment law enforcement’s efforts to reduce the number of alcohol related traffic fatalities in the state. This is particularly timely with the upcoming holiday season. Prosecutors are reminding drivers to "Make it Home for the Holidays," and not contribute to the recent increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. In 2005, the most recent statistic available, there were 1,719 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in California. The current anti-DUI theme of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is "Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest."

Prosecutors state that an overall statewide DUI conviction rate in excess of 77% is a primary goal of the program. Most states have Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors. Local prosecutors will benefit from California’s program, the largest in the nation with six specialized prosecutors. It has six regional "resource centers" (Northern California, Central Valley, Inland Empire, Southern California, Coastal Region, Sacramento Area) and a DUI prosecutor mentoring program.