DWI Law Changes from 2011

by Marshall A. Shelsy, Staff Attorney for the Harris County Courts at Law

The 82nd Texas Legislature significantly increased the level of public safety by giving judges the authority to closely supervise defendants and any individual granted an occupational driver’s license for so long as the license is in effect. Judges also have the authority to order reasonable conditions such as urinalysis, curfew, and treatment. To download Mr. Shelsy’s paper with highlighted changes to penal code, driver’s license provisions… Continue reading

DWI Court Program Evaluations


DWI Courts are based on the Drug Court model, and it is expected that DWI Courts will also face challenges. To respond to those challenges a DWI Court must evaluate its program. Guiding Principle #9 of the 10 Guiding Principles as set out by the National Center for DWI Courts discusses the importance of evaluating a DWI Court program. In part it says: “A credible evaluation is the only mechanism for mapping the road to program success or failure. Continue reading

DWI Newsletter - Winter Edition



The Texas Center for the Judiciary’s DWI Newsletter is online now! Click here to read the Winter Edition.

The DWI Newsletter is brought to you by a generous grant from the Texas Department of Transportation through a Traffic Safety Grant.

 

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Recent News

Drunk-Driving Interlock Sales May Jump

(Bloomberg, 02/15/2012)

The market for devices to prevent convicted drunk drivers from starting cars if they’ve had too much to drink may surge almost fivefold if the U.S. Congress passes a bill under debate this month.

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Ybarra receives 2-year prison term for DWI fatality

(San Antonio Express-News, 02/16/2012)

Jurors sentenced Jenny Ann Ybarra to two years in prison Wednesday in the wrong-way drunken driving wreck that fatally injured Erica Nicole Smith four years ago. Prosecutors had asked for a prison term of 15…

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New drug could help curb crime

(Fox News, 02/09/2012)

With far less fanfare than they deserve, Alkermes Pharmaceuticals is setting out to revolutionize the penal system and help stop prison overcrowding by finally getting at one of the indisputable medical causes of crime (including…

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Upcoming Conferences

Texas DWI Courts Operational Tune-Up Meeting

March 29-30, 2012

The Inn at the Ballpark | Houston, TX

The Texas DWI Courts Operational Tune-Up is designed for DWI Court judges and any interested DWI Curriculum Committee members. The Operational Tune-up will a) emphasize identifying solutions to any problem areas in DWI Court protocols, and b) determine to what extent DWI Courts can develop similar practices.

Cost: No Cost To Attend

DWI Court Team Training

April 23-26, 2012

Westin Oaks | Houston, TX

The Texas Center for the Judiciary will work with the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC) to provide training and technical assistance to assist Texas Courts in the design and implementation of an Adult DWI Court. Through practitioner-focused training programs, the NCDC will provide the core knowledge, skills, and operational focus necessary to properly plan and implement an Adult DWI Court within the parameters of established best practices in the implementation of the DWI Court model.

Cost: No Cost To Attend

Criminal Justice

May 08-09, 2012

Omni Hotel - Park West | Dallas, TX

The Traffic Safety Grant will sponsor three one-hour DWI breakout sessions.

Cost: $60.00

DWI College for Court Teams and Student Conduct Officers

July 30- August 01, 2012

Omni Downtown | Austin, TX

All members of DWI Court Teams are invited to attend: judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, treatment providers, court administrators, law enforcement officers, researchers and evaluators. Teams may also attend without their judges.

Cost: No Cost To Attend

Judges Only



Judicial Resource Liaison

DWI Judicial Resource Liaison

Judge Mark D. Atkinson

Judge Atkinson served 24 years on the bench presiding over more than 100,000 criminal cases, 20,000 of those being DWIs. Since 1988, Judge Atkinson implemented creative DWI sentencing practices, particularly with regard to repeat offenders. Many of those sentencing practices are similar to those currently used in today’s DWI Courts.… Read more >>

Program Director

Program Director

Holly Doran

The Texas Center for the Judiciary’s Traffic Safety Grant is pleased to introduce Ms. Holly Doran as the newly appointed Program Director.

Holly is a native of Southern California; however, she now considers Austin home. She first moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where she played… Read more >>