Clallam: County to set up state’s first DUI court

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, June 2, 2004

PORT ANGELES — Clallam County will set up the state’s first DUI Drug Court, modeled upon the county’s successful Drug Court, in mid-August, District Court Judge Rick Porter announced Tuesday.

And it will be launched with a $100,000 grant through the state Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

“The county has seen a significant increase in DUIs,” Porter said as he discussed the number of driving-under-the-influence cases that have come before him.

“Last week I sentenced an individual who had received his sixth DUI. Six is not unusual — I’ve seen people with 10,” Porter told county commissioners Tuesday.

The DUI Drug Court is designed for multiple DUI offenders who have a high risk of re-offending but might not be able to afford alcohol treatment services, Porter said.

But it also will target those with multiple minor-in-possession, or MIP, offenses or unusually high blood-alcohol levels, he said.

“There’s no hard and fast rules, it will be on a case-by-case basis,” Porter said.

“Certainly multiple DUI or MIP cases would qualify but maybe those with two or three times the legal blood-alcohol limit would, too,” Porter said.