LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Those arrested for driving under the influence in Lake County – especially repeat offenders and those involved in fatal or injury crashes – can expect to face highly trained, specialized prosecutors, thanks to a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The $150,000 grant to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office will fund a vertical prosecution team that will work cases from arrest through sentencing.

“DUI can be a violent, tragic crime.” said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “This special team will help insure that no one falls through the cracks, and that the worst offenders face a highly skilled, dedicated prosecutor.”

The high alcohol and drug related problems facing Lake County for the past several years have contributed to the increasing number of highway related deaths and injuries, according to local officials. With the assistance of and through cooperation with local law enforcement, the team intends to curb the harm inflicted on the public.

The new prosecution team will handle cases throughout each step of the criminal process, prosecuting both alcohol and drug-impaired driving cases, the District Attorney's Office reported. In fatal and major injury DUI vehicle collisions members of the team may even start by going to the crash scene to be part of the investigation.

Prosecution team members will work with the State’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program to increase the capabilities of the team and office by obtaining and delivering specialized training, including training in the emerging problem of drug-impaired driving.

The District Attorney's Office said team members will share information with peers and law enforcement personnel throughout the county and across the state.

The purpose of the program is to prevent impaired driving and reduce alcohol and drug-impaired traffic fatalities and injuries.

In 2011, in just the unincorporated areas of Lake County, there were six deaths and 50 injuries where DUI was the primary collision factor, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Funding for the program comes from a grant by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.