Johnston County celebrates successes of DWI court
A special court that handles only DWI cases in Johnston County is succeeding with its goal of clearing the case backlog, according to District Attorney Susan Doyle.
Posted — UpdatedDoyle's office released data Tuesday citing 345 convictions with a conviction rate of approximately 85 percent since the court’s inception in October of 2008.
The program is funded by a grant from the Governor's Highway Safety Program. District Court judges from Wake and other surrounding counties hear DWI cases three days a week.
Part of the problem in the past with dismissals, Doyle said, is that cases were delayed while defense attorneys "shop" for judges they consider more lenient.
In March, a Johnston County grand jury indicted a former prosecutor, a former court clerk and four defense lawyers on charges that they fixed drunken-driving cases.
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