The Kern County District Attorney’s (KCDA) Office received a $863,400.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to fund a specialized prosecution team to handle alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases.

This is the thirteenth year the KCDA’s Office has received funding from the California OTS for a specialized (DUI) prosecution program. Last year, the KCDA prosecution team filed over 3,000 DUI cases, including over 300 DUI drug cases and nearly 100 combined alcohol and drug cases.

The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to provide training to other prosecutors and investigators, as well as collaborate with law enforcement agencies on best practices handling and managing driving under the influence (DUI) cases.

District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented; "Driving under the influence has left families heartbroken and children without parents. Our office is dedicated to making our roads safer and ensuring that those who choose to drive intoxicated are held fully accountable. We are grateful to the California Office of Traffic Safety for standing with us in this mission. This year marks the 13th consecutive year of their support, a partnership that strengthens our ability to protect our community."

The grant program runs through September 2025.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.