For Immediate Release
Office of Traffic Safety Awards $537,121 Grant to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office for Specialized DUI Prosecution Team
Santa Rosa, CA | November 12, 2024
Sonoma County, Calif. – Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office announced today that it has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support a specialized prosecution team that handles alcohol- and drug-impaired driving cases. The grant program runs through September 2025.
“We are grateful for this grant, which will allow us to focus specifically on holding individuals accountable for impaired driving and making the roads in our community safer for everyone,” Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said. “Impaired driving remains a significant danger on our roads, particularly drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs. This funding strengthens our commitment to improving road safety and making sure justice is served effectively and efficiently.”
The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to train other prosecutors and investigators and collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best practices for handling and managing driving under the influence (DUI) cases.
This is the twelfth year the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office has received funding from the OTS for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the prosecution team filed 2,706 DUI cases, including 169 DUI drug cases and 161 DUI combined alcohol and drug cases.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Contact Information
Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Brian Staebell
Media Coordinator, Carrie Trevena
(707) 565-3098