DUI Victim Panel-A brief History

From the recently published book, "DUI / DWI: The History of Driving Under the Influence." 
Available for purschase at: http://www.amazon.com/DUI-DWI-History-Driving-Influence/dp/1432746227/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258400052&sr=1-3

DUI Victim Panel

MADD has advocated for many years the mandatory attendance at a victim impact panel (VIP) for those charged with a DUI. A DUI VIP is an event in which the attendees listen to presentations made by relatives of victims or victims of DUI incidents and/or accidents. These victims or relatives relate their experiences to the attendees.

Most DUI VIPs charge for participation and some of the money collected from fees paid by participants eventually find its way back to MADD. In fact the organization collected $4,436,481 in 2006 from VIPs.

There have been mixed reviews over the years regarding the value of the DUI VIP. Some groups believe that they have tremendous preventative value while others believe that they are valuable to the recovery of victims. According to the John Howard Society, some studies have shown that allowing victims to give testimony is psychologically beneficial to them and aids in their recovery and in their positive opinion of the criminal justice system. Victim Impact Statements. John Howard Society of Alberta (1997) In the alternative, a New Mexico study suggested that DUI VIPs tended to be perceived as confrontational by multiple offenders. According to the study such offenders then had a higher incidence of future offenses. Woodall, W.G., Delaney, H., Rogers, E. & Wheeler, D.R. A Randomized Trial of Victim Impact Panels’ DWI Deterrence Effectiveness. Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), University of New Mexico (2000) Overall the effects and overall value of victim impact panels on recidivism has been mixed. Shinar, D., and Compton, R.P. Victim impact panels: Their impact on DWI recidivism. Alcohol Drugs Driv 11(1):73-87, (1995); Fors, S.W., and Rojek, D.G. The effect of victim impact panels on DUI/DWI rearrest rates: A twelve-month follow-up. J Stud Alcohol 60(4):514-520 (1999); C’de Baca, J., Lapham, S.C., Paine, S., and Skipper, B.J. Victim impact panels: Who is sentenced to attend? Does attendance affect recidivism of first-time DWI offenders? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 24(9):1420-1426 (2000)

For information on your DUI, please contact our Snohomish County DUI attorneys, King County DUI attorneys, Island County DUI attorneys, or Skagit County DUI attorneys at 425-493-1115 or check out our website at http://www.washdui.com/