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Why do DUIs go away?

The Spokesman-Review

Each day I read the District Court proceedings and note that about 50 percent of the driving-under-the- influence (DUI) convictions are amended to another violation such as reckless driving or negligent driving. I have asked and have not received answers that make sense.

I question, each time I read about car crashes that involve a driver who has multiple DUIs, why they have had so many charges and they are still on the road.

Do DUI drivers going through court without an attorney get their charges amended? Is this a prosecutor’s ploy to avoid litigation? What does the amended driving record show after the amendment? Aren’t there programs for first-time offenders to defer their charges if they choose to address their chemical dependency issues?

Perhaps some of your readers can help me make sense of this practice.

Peter E. Trygstad

Mead

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