1. Any circuit court may establish a DWI court within the treatment court division to provide an alternative for the judicial system to dispose of cases in which a person has pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated or driving with excessive blood alcohol content and:

(1) The person was operating a motor vehicle with at least fifteen-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in such person’s blood; or

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 478.007

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.

(2) The person has previously pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of one or more intoxication-related traffic offenses as defined by section 577.001; or

(3) The person has two or more previous alcohol-related enforcement contacts as defined in section 302.525.

2. This court shall combine judicial supervision, drug or alcohol testing, continuous alcohol monitoring, or verifiable breath alcohol testing, substance abuse traffic offender program compliance, and treatment of DWI court participants. The court may assess any and all necessary costs for participation in DWI court against the participant. Any money received from such assessed costs by a court from a defendant shall not be considered court costs, charges, or fines. This court shall operate in conjunction with a treatment court established pursuant to sections 478.001 to 478.009.

3. If the division of probation and parole is otherwise unavailable to assist in the judicial supervision of any person who wishes to enter a DWI court, a court-approved private probation service may be utilized by the DWI court to fill the division’s role. In such case, any and all necessary additional costs may be assessed against the participant. No person shall be rejected from participating in DWI court solely for the reason that the person does not reside in the city or county where the applicable DWI court is located but the DWI court can base acceptance into a treatment court program on its ability to adequately provide services for the person or handle the additional caseload.