State considers DWI courts

As a way to reduce a growing backlog of drunk driving cases, the state legislature will consider a proposal to set up short-term DWI courts in areas with the greatest need.

“It’s a fairly significant problem,” said Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, who sponsored the bill.

“What we’re really doing is trying to close loopholes where the law is being improperly administered.”

The bill would appropriate $300,000 for the temporary courts. A large portion of that money likely would go to support the salary of an experienced DWI prosecutor.

James Woodall, interim district attorney for Orange and Chatham counties, said his office is keeping on top of its case load but is still looking to add another prosecutor who specializes in traffic violations and DWI cases.

“We do have a lot of pending DWI cases, but I wouldn’t characterize it as a backlog,” he said.

Woodall said public focus on the issue of driving while intoxicated would help garner support for the bill.

“I think it has a good chance of passing,” he said.

The average DWI case in the state takes 315 days to be resolved from the date of arrest, said Tom Lock, district attorney for Johnston, Harnett and Lee counties.

He said district judges in the state have an average of 199 DWI cases on the docket at any given time. With his district averaging 388 days to process a case, Lock said, he is applying for a grant to support an additional DWI prosecutor.

Woodall said more prosecutors would shorten the time of DWI cases, but he made it clear that the quality of the process would not be sacrificed.

“We’re not statistics-driven,” he said. “We’ve always had a strong DWI policy, we’re always going to have a strong DWI policy.”

Both district attorneys said they hope Rand’s bill might help fund new prosecutors’ salaries.

If the legislature enacts the bill, the administrative office of the state court system will review the number of pending cases in each district to decide where provisional courts would go.

Cheryl Jones, a national vice president for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she supports the bill and other measures to decrease the backlog of cases.

Jones said some cases drag on for so long that police officers involved retire or move before they can testify.

“I’m sure it would help Mecklenburg County,” Jones said.

Bruce Lillie, supervisor of Mecklenburg County District Court, said money from Rand’s bill could help the county. It had more than 2,400 DWI arrests last year, the highest number in the state.

“I like to think it benefits the state and the defendant to get the case resolved.”

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