Understanding the Criminal and Civil Justice Systems

Criminal Justice System

For many people, their experience with the criminal justice system is limited to what they’ve seen on television. The reality can be very different and unexpected. If the person responsible for the crash survived, you may be unprepared for what you are about to experience. It is common for victims and survivors to feel powerless and intimidated by the criminal justice system. When you are in the vulnerable position of having been victimized by another person’s actions, it may take all you have to cope with the aftermath of the traumatic event. You may not have much energy left to interact assertively with a justice system that tends to be challenging. This section is designed to provide a brief overview of the criminal justice process for substance impaired driving offenses, for both drunk and drugged driving, regardless of the jurisdiction. Most state substance impaired driving laws are very similar. However, there are specific differences in how substance impaired driving cases are

handled, not only in each state but also in each jurisdiction. You should speak with your local MADD Victim Advocate

Laws are different from place to place.

and the prosecuting attorney’s office for specific details about the laws in your state and the criminal justice procedure in the presiding court.

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