New Little Rock sobriety court aids DWI offenders

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Little Rock has started a sobriety court program that treats certain people charged with driving while intoxicated.

The yearlong intensive program allows "hardcore DWI offenders" to choose that option instead of serving jail time, heavy fines and community service hours, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2o28jjs ) reported. The program includes drug tests and Breathalyzer tests twice a week, informal biweekly "review hearings," regular treatment sessions and daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Judge Wayne Gruber's program is one of 10 in Arkansas, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts. Gruber's sobriety court, which started last year, currently has six participants, but the judge is hoping to expand his budget to hire more staff and manage more participants.

Gruber said he hopes the defendants achieve sobriety.

Wardell Robinson Jr. is one of six people who participate in the program. After having a few drinks last summer, Robinson got into a collision while driving the wrong way on a one-way road. That night, he was arrested for his second DWI in as many years.

"I have kids, and I didn't want to jeopardize my time with my kids on the weekends," Robinson said about why he chose sobriety court.

Robinson said achieving the program's requirements while keeping his full-time job and having a suspended driver's license has made for a stretched schedule, and a lot of sacrifice.

"At some point, some of these folks decide that it would be easier to do 90 days in jail than it would be to do 90 (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings in 90 days and have to report here every week," Gruber said.

Similar programs have cropped up in Arkadelphia, Benton, Bentonville, Conway, Jonesboro, Hot Springs and Pine Bluff.

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