Holiday weekends tend to be notorious for DUI checkpoints around the state of Colorado. The 2015 Halloween weekend was certainly no exception. According to police, there were more than 250 arrests for drunk driving allegations during the Halloween period.
The Colorado Department of Transportation joined forces with local police agencies as well as the Colorado State Patrol — CSP — in order to keep an eye out for possible drunk drivers. Aside from DUI checkpoints, there were also increased police patrols on the road as part of a total increase in enforcement efforts. These efforts began the day before Halloween on Oct. 30 and then continued through Monday, Nov. 2.
Authorities noted that the number of arrests for 2015 was significantly less than the number of arrests made in 2014, which totaled 329. It is unclear how many of this year’s arrests were related to checkpoints or increased police patrols and how many were the result of otherwise routine traffic stops. However, the CSP was only responsible for 45 of the approximate 250 arrests, with the remaining being made by smaller, local agencies.
The desire to improve safety conditions on Colorado roads is a completely understandable and admirable goal, but holiday checkpoints and extra patrols can sometimes be unfairly biased against drivers. Whether a defendant is uncertain of the best way to proceed or not sure if his or her arrest was just, there are a number of actions that can be utilized. An administrative hearing is a popular option to contest any suspension or revocation of a driver’s license and is typically held soon after the arrest. Even as defendants determine how best to proceed with drunk driving charges in court, this type of hearing can result in a finding to help drivers retain their driving privileges in order to get to and from school and/or work or other permitted activities.
