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Delaware DUI First Offenders Statute – 21 Delaware Code § 4177B – Full Text – Old Law Applies To Offenses Occurring Prior to July 1, 2012

DELAWARE DUI FIRST OFFENDERS PROGRAM ELECTION – For Offenses Occurring Prior to July 1, 2012

§ 4177B. First offenders; election in lieu of trial. [Applicable ONLY to Offenses Occurring Prior to July 1, 2012]

(a) Any person who:

(1) Has never had a previous or prior conviction or offense as defined in paragraph (e)(1) of this section;

(2) Had not accumulated 3 or more moving violations within 2 years of the date of the offense in question on the person’s driving record according to the records of the Division of Motor Vehicles of the person’s state of residence; and

(3) Was not, with respect to the offense in question, involved in an accident resulting in injury to any person other than the person’s own self; and

(4) Did not have an alleged alcohol concentration of .15 or more at the time of driving or within 4 hours of driving; and

(5) Was not driving without a valid license or under a suspended or revoked license at the time of the offense in question.

(6) Is not subject to the enhanced penalties of § 4177(d)(5) of this title for carrying a child on or within that person’s vehicle while driving under the influence.

May qualify for the first offense election at the time of arraignment. The court, without entering a judgment of guilt and with the consent of the accused, may defer further proceedings and place the accused on probation upon terms and conditions, including enrollment in a course of instruction or program of rehabilitation established pursuant to § 4177D of this title. If the accused elects to apply, the application shall constitute a waiver of the right to speedy trial. If the person elects not to apply, or if is not accepted, the person shall promptly be arraigned for a violation of § 4177 of this title. If a person applies for or accepts the first offense election under this section, such act shall constitute agreement to pay the costs of prosecution for the case [$250.00], and the court shall assess such costs [$250.00] and impose them as a condition of probation. If a person accepts the first offense election under this section, such action shall constitute a waiver of the right to an administrative hearing as provided for in § 2742 of this title and shall act to withdraw any request previously made therefor. If a person accepts the first offense election under this section, and the person has taken a chemical test pursuant to § 2741 of this title, such person may also elect at that time to participate in the First Offense Election — Ignition Interlock Device Diversion described in subsection (g) of this section. For the purposes of this section, costs of prosecution are court costs as established by the appropriate court schedules [$250.00]; and

(b) If a term or condition of probation is violated, including failure to appear for evaluation at an assigned evaluating agency, the person shall be brought before the court, or if the person fails to appear before the court, in either case, upon a determination by the court that the terms have been violated, the court shall enter an adjudication of guilt and proceed as otherwise provided under § 4177 of this title.

(c) Upon fulfillment of the terms and conditions of probation, including satisfactory completion of the course of instruction and/or program of rehabilitation, and payment of all fees, the court shall discharge the person and the proceedings against the person and shall simultaneously with said discharge and dismissal submit to the Division of Motor Vehicles a written report specifying the name of the person and the nature of the proceedings against the person which report shall be retained by the Division of Motor Vehicles for further proceedings, if required.

(d) The driver’s license and/or driving privileges of a person applying for enrollment in an education or rehabilitation program pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall forthwith be revoked by the Secretary for a period of 1 year. If the person is accepted into the education or rehabilitation program the period of revocation shall be for 1 year from the date of the initial revocation. If the person is not accepted for enrollment, or if the person is found by the court to be in violation of the terms of enrollment, the revocation under this section shall continue until sentence is imposed. This revocation shall not be concurrent with or part of any period of revocation established under any other provisions of this subchapter and shall be effective as of the date of sentencing for a period of 1 year.

(e)(1) Prior or previous conviction or offense. — For purposes of §§ 2742, 4177 and 4177B of this title the provisions of § 4215A of Title 11 shall not be applicable but instead the following shall constitute a prior or previous conviction or offense:

a. A conviction or other adjudication of guilt or delinquency pursuant to § 4175(b) or § 4177 of this title, or a similar statute of any state or local jurisdiction, any federal or military reservation or the District of Columbia;

b. A conviction or other adjudication of guilt or delinquency under a criminal statute encompassing death or injury caused to another person by the person’s driving where driving under the influence or with a prohibited alcohol concentration was an element of the offense, whether such conviction was pursuant to a provision of this Code or the law of any state, local jurisdiction, any federal or military reservation or the District of Columbia;

c. Participation in a course of instruction or program of rehabilitation or education pursuant to § 4175(b), § 4177 or § 4177B of this title, or a similar statute of any state, local jurisdiction, any federal or military reservation or the District of Columbia, regardless of the existence or validity of any accompanying attendant plea or adjudication of guilt;

d. A conditional adjudication of guilt, any court order, or any agreement sanctioned by a court requiring or permitting a person to apply for, enroll in or otherwise accept first offender treatment or any other diversionary program under this section or a similar statute of any state, local jurisdiction, any federal or military reservation or the District of Columbia.

(2) Time limitations. — For the purpose of determining the applicability of enhanced penalties pursuant to § 4177 of this title, the time limitations on use of prior or previous convictions or offenses as defined by this subsection shall be:

a. For sentencing pursuant to § 4177(d)(2) of this title, the 2nd offense must have occurred within 5 years of a prior offense;

b. For sentencing pursuant to § 4177(d)(3) of this title, the 3rd offense must have occurred within 5 years of the 1st offense to be calculated for sentencing;

c. For sentencing pursuant to § 4177(d)(4) of this title there shall be no time limitation and all prior or previous convictions or offenses as defined in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be considered for sentencing under § 4177(d)(4);

d. For any subsection that does not have a time limitation prescribed, all prior or previous convictions or offenses as defined in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be considered.

(3) Computation of time limitations. — For the purpose of computing the periods of time set out in § 2742, § 4177 or § 4177B of this title, the period shall run from the date of the commission of the prior or previous offense to the date of the commission of the charged offense. However, in any case in which the prior offense is defined in subparagraph (1)c. or (1)d. of this subsection, the date of the driving incident which caused the adjudication or program participation shall be the date of the prior or previous offense.

(4) Separate and distinct offenses. — For the purpose of determining the applicability of enhanced penalties pursuant to § 4177 of this title, prior or previous convictions or offenses used to determine eligibility for such enhanced penalties must be separate and distinct offenses; that is, each must be successive to the other with some period of time having elapsed between sentencing or adjudication for an earlier offense or conviction and the commission of the offense resulting in a subsequent conviction.

(5) Challenges to use of prior offenses. — In any proceeding under § 2742, § 4177 or § 4177B of this title, a person may not challenge the validity of any prior or previous conviction, unless that person first successfully challenges the prior or previous conviction in the court in which the conviction arose and provides written notice of the specific nature of the challenge in the present proceeding to the prosecution at least 20 days before trial.

(f) The Attorney General may move the sentencing court to apply this section to any person who would otherwise be disqualified from consideration under this section because of the applicability of:

(1) Subsection (a)(1), if any prior offense as defined in subsection (e) of this section is not within 5 years of the offense for which the person is being sentenced; or

(2) Subsections (a)(2)–(a)(6) of this section.

In the event of such a motion by the Attorney General, the court may in its discretion apply the terms of this section to that person.

(g) First Offense Election — Ignition Interlock Device Diversion. — If a person accepts the first offense election under this section, such person may also elect at that time to participate in the First Offense Election — Ignition Interlock Device (FOE-IID) Diversion as part of that person’s probation. If a person elects to participate in the FOE-IID Diversion, such act shall constitute an agreement to all terms and conditions contained in the Ignition Interlock Device Program set forth in § 4177F of this title and the participant shall waive the right to an administrative hearing as provided for in § 2742 of this title or shall withdraw any request previously made therefor. Failure to comply with any part of this section or § 4177F of this title shall be considered a violation of the participant’s probation for the purposes of subsection (b) of this section.
*Current as of October 31, 2008

Next – 21 Delaware Code § 4177C – Conditional Licenses – License Reinstatement