(DUI) Court

HIstory and Background

The El Paso County Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Court started in June 2008, and the Teller County DUI Court started in 2010.  Judge Jackson Peters founded the 4th Judicial District (El Paso and Teller Counties) DUI Court program and presided over it until his retirement in September, 2011. Judge Dan Wilson presided over the El Paso County DUI Court program from September 2011 until April, 2013. Judge Lin Billings Vela began presiding over the Teller County DUI Court program in October 2011 and began presiding over the El Paso County program April 2013. Judge Regina Walter began presiding over the DUI Court in January 2015 until her retirement in January 2019. Judge Jessica Curtis began presiding over the DUI Court from January 2019 until 2020. Magistrate Jami Vigil began presiding over DUI Court in March 2020 through April 2023.  In April 2023, Magistrate Lara Nafziger took over DUI Court. In June 2023 Judge Cynthia McKedy began presiding over the DUI Court program.

Mission and End Goal of the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Court

The Mission of the 4th Judicial Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Court Program, through a coordinated multi-disciplinary team approach, is to increase public safety and to reduce harm for the future for hi9gh risk repeat DUI offenders.  Through education, treatment and rehabilitation services, the program promotes accountability, responsibility, and sustained attitudinal and behavioral change. The program aims to increase participant’s stability, improve health/wellness and quality of life, and promote a healthy support system for long-term recovery and success.

Benefits to the Public

Protect the client and the public from the many dangers associated with drunk driving.

Legal eligibility:

• Charge being screened for is a New Felony DUI offense, or a Felony DUI probation revocation based on technical violations (no new charges).
• Defendant is a resident of the 4th Judicial District and is able to be present in the 4th Judicial District for program components
• Criminal history/charges/convictions do not indicate presence of aggravators, such as: vehicular assault, or serious accident (in the interest of public safety and stakeholder support)
• Defendant is probation eligible
• Criminal history/charges/convictions do no indicate presence of aggravators, such as: higher felony charges, vehicular assault, homicide, serious accident, significant criminal history
• Does not have sex offense(s) conviction that requires registration and offender specific treatment

**Program eligibility will be determined after referral upon screening by probation and treatment

Referral Process – How participants get into the program

The Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Court program is designed for high risk/high need repeat DUI offenders. Clients are referred into the program by Judges and attorneys that think that this program is appropriate, and cases will be transferred to DUI Court for observation/screening.

Program requirements

The DUI Court requires a minimum 2-year probation sentence. The program includes Four Phases that are supervised and may be accomplished in no less than 18 months.  All supervised phases will involve many contacts with the DUI Court team members.  It will include therapy, AA/NA or other approved recovery support, probation appointments, regular court appearances, random alcohol/drug testing, community service and payment plan arrangements, among other things.  As program participants progress and show success in their sobriety, the subsequent phases become less rigorous and less time consuming. Upon successful completion of Phase Four, program participants will graduate from the program. If there is still time left on their probation sentence they will serve the remainder on unsupervised probation.

Graduation and Life After DUI Court

Your participation and success in the DUI Court requires honesty, courage, and commitment to self and your community. Once program participants have successfully completed the criteria for each Phase, they will advance to the next level and eventually be a candidate to graduate from the DUI Court program. In Phase Four, participants must have had at least 90 days without a sobriety monitoring violation and have satisfied all financial obligations to the court in order to graduate. Upon successful completion of Phase Four, participants will have prepared a Life Plan to present in court to the DUI Court Team and program peers. This is a personal plan for continuing success beyond DUI Court.