The Fresno County District Attorney's office. Photo by David Castellon

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday it has received a $665,900 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support a specialized prosecution team that handles alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases. The grant program runs through September 2025.

“We are grateful for this grant, which will allow us to focus specifically on holding individuals accountable for impaired driving and making the roads in our community safer for everyone,” Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said. “Impaired driving remains a significant danger on our roads, particularly drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs. This funding strengthens our commitment to improving road safety and making sure justice is served effectively and efficiently.”

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

This is the 21st year that the office has received funding from the OTS for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the prosecution team filed 344 DUI cases, including 25 DUI drug cases and 30 DUI combined alcohol and drug cases.

Funding for this program was provided through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.