On-Demand Learning: Investigation and Prosecution of Drug-Impaired Driving Cases

Impaired driving is illegal, extremely dangerous, and has life altering consequences.  Impairment is impairment, regardless of the substance causing the impairment.  It does not matter what type of drug a person has taken: licit, illicit, or even if that drug is properly prescribed or purchased over-the-counter; the risk of death or serious injury is the same.

The detection and prosecution of drug-impaired driving cases requires specialized knowledge and skill to combat the unique challenges and defenses presented.  An officer or a prosecutor willing to take on this difficult task can keep drug-impaired drivers off of the roadways, thereby preventing unnecessary deaths and injuries and positively impacting public safety.   

This Course is designed to assist prosecutors in honing the skills required to properly prosecute a drug-impaired driving case.   A prosecutor participating in this Drug-Impaired Driving online training will learn the following: 

1. What a drug is and what kinds of drugs can cause impairment.  Although the definition of “drug” may vary by State statute, participants will learn about over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, and what polydrug-use is. 
2. How to decipher a toxicology report and the kind of information about which a toxicologist may testify and about which he/she cannot.
3. How a law enforcement officer fully and properly investigates a drug-impaired driving case, what the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program is, and how a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) may be utilized during a drug-impaired driving investigation. 
4. Some of the unique challenges and defenses posed to a drug-impaired driving prosecutor and how to best handle those challenges and defenses. 
5. Suggestions on how to select jurors for a drug-impaired driving case. 

Additional Questions?

Please contact NTLC Senior Attorney, M. Kimberly Brown.