District Attorney Awarded Office of Traffic Safety DUI Prosecution Grant

For the eighth straight year, District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to announce the award of a California Office of Traffic Safety Grant to help prosecute cases of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The $243,213 grant will continue to fund a Vertical Prosecution team through September 2025, primarily for felony DUI with injury cases, as well as attorney training. The Vertical Prosecution model allows a prosecutor to see the case through from start to finish.

In addition to funding the special prosecution team, funding will be used to develop protocols for handling cases through every step of the criminal process, provide training for prosecutors and investigators through the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program (TSRP), and host quarterly regional meetings with law enforcement partners to improve DUI investigations and prosecutions.

Under the 2023-2024 Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driver Vertical Prosecution Program grant, 2,415 total DUI cases were filed by the Office of the District Attorney – 2,202 alcohol only, 116 drug only, and 87 combination drug and alcohol. The Vertical TCDA DUI prosecutor filed 96 cases, focusing on incidents of felony repeat offenders and DUI resulting in injury or death. 

“We once again are grateful to the Office of Traffic Safety for recognizing our office with this important grant,” said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward. “While trends are heading in the right direction from last year, we have still seen the harmful and life altering effects of this entirely preventable crime. This holiday season, please make the right choice.”

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

Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Communications Director  Stuart Anderson (559) 636-5494