When a person is convicted in a Felony DUI complaint in Nevada, they can expect severe penalties and long prison sentences in their future. Of course, they will do all they can to dispute the charge and avoid all the punishment. It can and will be an uphill battle, however.
Luckily for you, the justice system offers an alternative to prison time and fines in the form of the felony DUI court. Let’s a take closer look at how felony DUI courts work in Las Vegas
Felony DUI Court?
A felony DUI court is a court-supervised alternative program for people facing drunk driving charges in Las Vegas. It is offered to defendants with three or more DUI convictions on their record but no prior related felony convictions. It offers counseling and rehabilitation to help individuals deal with their drunk driving problems, come clean and stay sober, as well as minimize the possibility of repeat offending in the future.
How Does it Work?
Despite its name, a felony DUI court operates like a standard rehabilitation and therapeutic program for recovering alcoholics. It does have the caveat that the defendant must undergo house arrest for a maximum of six months and wear a continuous alcohol monitoring anklet for the duration of the program or until required by the court. The program lasts between three and five years, depending on how severe the charge was.
As a standard, the intensive rehab program usually involves most if not all of the activities listed below:
Regular urine drug/alcohol testing
Individual and/or group counseling
Mental health therapy
Collaborative case management
Outpatient services
Weekly support group meetings
Community supervision
Regular court reporting
Additional Things to Remember
You will have to meet eligibility requirements to be admitted to a felony DUI court. These usually include:
Minimum three DUI charges within the seven-year period
Identified problems with alcohol/drugs
Must not have prior felony DUI convictions
Must not have completed the program before
Your participation is not free or subsidized. You will have to pay for all the fees, including court dues, house arrest, probation, treatment costs and the like. The current going rate is $554.60 a month for the entire program.
Felony DUI court is a viable alternative if you wish to avoid a lengthy prison stay. Consult your DUI lawyer to help weigh out your options.