Attorney General Jack Conway has announced that his office is again helping to train police and prosecutors about the effective prosecution of DUI cases involving drugs. A regional seminar is being held April 2 through April 4 at the Radisson Hotel in Covington, Ky.
The training is coordinated through the Office of the Attorney General’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program. The goal of the training is to create a team building approach in the detection, apprehension, and prosecution of drivers impaired by illicit and prescription drugs.
“Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that roughly one in eight weekend, nighttime drivers tested positive for illicit drugs,” General Conway said. “Additionally, of the drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationally, one in three tested positive for drugs. Our regional DUI trainings provide police officers and prosecutors with the tools they need to effectively enforce our DUI laws so they can better protect the citizens of our Commonwealth.”
Entitled "Prosecuting the Drugged Driver," the training is funded through the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety with grant funds provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Assistance for this training has been provided by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety and the Kentucky State Police.
This is the second regional training within the Commonwealth to focus on the growing problem of drivers impaired by illicit and prescription drugs. Previously, trainings focused on prosecuting drivers impaired by alcohol have been offered in Bowling Green, Prestonsburg, Covington, Louisville, and Lexington.
"The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and our Office of Highway Safety, look forward to continuing a very effective partnership with the Office of the Attorney General to provide funding in support of the Commonwealth's Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program,” said Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock, who is Gov. Steve Beshear’s designated representative for highway safety. “The Office of the Attorney General has done an exceptional job in conducting training workshops and coordinating training opportunities for both law enforcement and prosecutors throughout the state. It is not only our responsibility, it is a priority of this administration to provide all highway safety professionals with the tools and resources they need to save and protect lives on our highways."
Representatives of the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also plan to attend the training.
"MADD strongly supports the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program and commends the Office of the Attorney General for implementing this program,” said Rosalind Donald, a Kentucky MADD victim advocate. "We are grateful to be invited to participate in the training and hope to shed light on the long-lasting effects that drunk-driving crashes create for victims and survivors. Drunk driving is a serious crime. Trainings such as these help ensure that the criminal justice system addresses DUI charges consistently and effectively, ultimately helping protect society from needless death and injury."
The training is presented under the direction of the American Prosecutors Research Institute's (APRI) National Traffic Law Center and is open to the media.
You can follow Attorney General Conway on Twitter @kyoag, visit the Attorney General’s Facebook page or view videos on our YouTube channel.
