Police in Colorado recently cracked down on alleged drunk driving during an enforcement period surrounding St. Patrick’s Day. The enforcement period lasted seven days. A number of drivers ended up being arrested on charges of DUI in the state.
Police throughout the state increased their DUI patrols. The total number of people arrested this year was 396. This is smaller than the 505 people arrested last year.
Seventy-nine agencies took part in the ramped-up patrols. The police department in the city of Denver made 44 arrests, while the department in Colorado Springs made 32 arrests. Meanwhile, the Colorado State Patrol ended up making 27 arrests. Another similar DUI enforcement period is planned for April 9 to May 15.
Individuals who are charged with DUI in Colorado retain the right to go to trial to fight the charges. At trial, charges must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt — a stringent standard that exists in an effort to protect innocent people from being convicted and sentenced. Alternatively, accused individuals might choose to pursue plea deals with the prosecution, if available. The terms of such an agreement are usually dependent on how strong the prosecution’s evidence is; if the evidence is strong, the deal might offer the advantage of a more lenient sentence than what would typically be rendered should the defendant be convicted at trial. Either way, defense counsel will work to protect the accused individual’s legal rights while also striving for the most favorable result possible in light of the circumstances surrounding the case.
Source: fox21news.com, “Nearly 400 drivers arrested statewide during St. Patrick’s Day DUI crackdown“, Angela Case, March 24, 2016