Case dismissal before initial court date no longer an option
Sobering changes are on the way for underage drinkers slammed with a minor in possession summons.
Beginning Sept. 1, a revised alcohol program within the Boulder County courts will require first-time offenders to appear at an initial court date prior to scheduling diversion classes.
The former system provided first-time offenders with the option to have their case dismissed by completing diversion classes before their appointed court date.
In addition, the initial court dates will be scheduled around three weeks from the date of the infraction in contrast to the standard six-week timetable of the old system.
Offenders who fail to appear in court on their designated date will have an active warrant issued for their arrest.
“The reason we had to make the change was we had so many kids doing continuances that we had cases extending up to two years,” said Jennifer Langfield, the alcohol diversion coordinator for the Boulder County district attorney’s office.
According to Ryan Mendling, spokesman for Wardenburg’s Psychological Health and Psychiatry Department, last year, about 1,400 CU students enrolled in the Focus on Alcohol Concerns program at Wardenburg to dismiss their court cases.
Mendling said the class costs $137 and includes two three-hour sessions.
“I think it’s to students’ advantage to sign up as soon as possible because the classes fill up quickly,” said Steve Bentley, substance abuse program coordinator at Wardenburg.
At their initial court date, offenders are shown an educational video outlining the necessary steps to complete the program. Then, they are given a second court date, by which time they must complete the diversion classes.
Offenders who fail to complete their respective diversion programs before their second court date will be arraigned on their charge in court. The new sentence will be a six month deferred sentence, diversion class, eight hours of community service and substantial court fees if they plead guilty.
“As of last spring when the court was reviewing its own records, and it found out something in the vicinity of 70 percent of MIPs were asking for a continuance,” said Bentley, while explaining the backlogged system.
Boulder Police spokeswoman Julie Brooks said there have already been 87 MIP tickets given out the Friday and Saturday before school started. Two of those MIPs resulted in arrests.
“It was not a good start to the year,” Brooks said.
Langfield had some advice for students.
“My best advice for the kids who get tickets would be this: Go to court it will save you a lot of trouble,” Langfield said.
For more information visit http://www.colorado.edu/healthcenter/php/fac.html or call by phone at (303) 492-1465.
Contact Campus Press staff writer James Collector at
James.Collector@thecampuspress.com
