Marin D.A. receives grant to go after drunk drivers

San Rafael, CA – The Marin County District Attorney’s Office received a $467,185 grant from the California Officer of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a specialized two-person prosecution team that handles alcohol and drug impaired driving cases that occur in Marin County.

“Marin County is safer thanks to the hard work and experience of our Vertical DUI Prosecution Team (VDPT),” District Attorney Lori E. Frugoli said. “Our VDPT would not be possible without the generous funding by the Office of Traffic Safety, which provides the necessary financial means to successfully prosecute serial DUI drivers and to keep Marin highways and streets safe for all drivers and pedestrians. By renewing our grant funding for the upcoming fiscal year, OTS has allowed us to continue this critical public safety program.”

“Impaired driving is a growing problem, particularly with drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “This program allows us to focus specifically on holding those who decide to drive impaired accountable for their actions.”

The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to provide training to other prosecutors and investigations, as well as collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best practices handling and managing driving under the influence cases.

This is the 13th year the Marin County District Attorney’s Office has received funding from the OTS for a DUI prosecution program. Last year the Marin office filed a total of 1,032 DUI cases. That included 40 drug DUIs and 13 combined alcohol and drug cases. District Attorney Frugoli and her deputy district attorneys increased DUI filings in the Marin County Courts 10.37 percent from the prior grant year.

The grant program runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Officer of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.