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Nevada DUI laws make a third DUI in seven years a felony, carrying at least a year in prison. But since 2007, third-time offenders have had the choice to go to DUI Court instead, a rigorous rehab program. In Douglas County, half of the participants have been successful and had their felony DUI convictions reduced to gross misdemeanors.
The Nevada DUI Diversion program mandates three-to-five years of close supervision, six months of house arrest, electronic monitoring, drug and alcohol counseling, a Sobrietor breath tester hooked up to their home phones, searches and seizures which are unannounced, and biweekly court appearances. If a participant is found to be in violation of the terms, Nevada DUI laws require him/her to spend a month in jail, and a second offense removes the participant from the program completely and puts them in prison. And if a participant is convicted of a DUI after completing the program, it’s counted as a fourth drunk driving offense, with Nevada DUI Laws mandating two-to-fifteen years in prison.
Another benefit of the Nevada DUI Diversion program is saved taxpayer money and more prison space because the participants cover all the costs: Over the three-to-five years, DUI court students pay up to $14,000. Furthermore, participants may continue going to work, school, medical appointments, church and counseling, even while they’re under house arrest. (See our related article, “Do I need a lawyer for my Nevada DUI case?“)
About the Author
Neil Shouse
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, Court TV, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.
