Court Monitoring

DWI Court Monitoring

The DWI Resource Center and your local law enforcement agencies encourage citizens and interested organizations to actively participate in the adjudication process of DWI offenders. Court monitors are responsible for attending, observing and recording the disposition of DWI court cases as they move through the criminal justice system. In addition to sending a strong message to judges and prosecutors that the public has an active interest in DWI issues, research indicates that consistent court monitoring also has a direct effect on the legal process.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published research indicating that court monitoring has several positive effects on DWI adjudication, including a 10 percent higher conviction rate and a 70 percent lower dismissal rate for cases where the driver’s blood alcohol levels were at .10 or higher. According to the NHTSA study, monitored cases where the driver refused the BAC test were 25 percent more likely to be convicted and case dismissal rates were 90 percent lower. The DWI Resource Center offers a complete guide to courtroom monitoring for individuals, as well as training sessions for those organizations interested in court monitoring. The courtroom monitoring guide contains information on:

• Courtroom decorum
• New Mexico’s judicial system
• The DWI legal process in New Mexico
• Research on the impact of court monitoring on DWI adjudication
• Looking up DWI offenders and court dockets
• Useful forms such as a DWI Court Case Information Sheet and Case Notes

Court contact information and maps to courts. For more information on court monitoring, download the Center’s Court Monitoring Handbook

If your would like more information on starting a court monitoring program please contact Linda Atkinson at (505) 881-1084.