Marin offenders get local option for DUI courses

Marin residents who must complete a court-ordered course for intoxicated driving will no longer have to go outside the county to do so.

Recover Medical Group is now offering in-person classes at 851 Irwin St., Suite 304, in San Rafael. Marin’s previous provider, Bay Area Community Resources, stopped offering classes last August, creating a service gap and forcing offenders to seek classes on the internet or in neighboring counties.

“This program is critical for both accountability and rehabilitation,” said Dr. Todd Schirmer, director of the county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services agency. “Having a local option helps remove logistical burdens that can delay or prevent compliance.”

According to the District Attorney’s Office, driving under the influence of intoxicants is the most frequently charged crime in Marin County. The number of DUI cases referred to the office and the number charged have both risen steadily in recent years.

In 2022, 977 cases were referred and 883 filed, and last year 1,121 cases were referred and 1,027 cases were filed. So far this year, 431 cases have been filed in Marin.

Over the years, Marin County has consistently ranked as one of the healthiest counties in California based on an evaluation by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. However, Marin scores poorly on one area of health: excessive use of alcohol.

According to the 2025 County Health Rankings, based on 2022 data, an estimated 25% of adults in Marin County reported binge or heavy drinking, compared to the estimated statewide average of 20%. In 2019, Marin’s rate was 21%.

“These data highlight ongoing concerns around excessive alcohol use in the county, particularly in comparison to state averages,” Schirmer said.

In addition, the data say 28% of the 65 motor vehicle crash deaths in Marin County between 2018 and 2022 involved alcohol. The statewide average is 26% for the same period.

The figures are consistent with data from 2016 to 2020, as reported in the 2022 County Health Rankings, when 26% of fatal crashes in Marin and 28% statewide were alcohol-related.

“These data point to the ongoing role of alcohol in traffic fatalities both locally and across California,” Schirmer said.

A first DUI offense in California is a misdemeanor. Most first-time offenders receive three years of unsupervised probation with five to 10 days of jail, a fine of $1,834 and a requirement to complete DUI school. A first-time conviction also triggers a driving license suspension of up to 10 months and can include a prohibition of driving with any amount of alcohol in the offender’s system.

A second DUI conviction means more jail time, additional fines and a requirement to complete an 18-month DUI school. Completion of the driving school requirement is required before offenders get their licenses back.

A third DUI conviction within 10 years means three years of supervised probation, at least 120 days in jail and another fine. The offender’s license is also revoked for three years.

A fourth conviction could mean a sentence of up to three years in jail or state prison.

Deputy District Attorney Wesley Pratt, who oversees DUI prosecutions for the office, said he was glad to see that in-person classes are once again available in Marin.

“It’s not impossible to do outside the county,” Pratt said. “It’s just unwieldy, and there is an additional wrinkle if English isn’t your first language. My understanding is Recover offers bilingual classes, so that’s a real positive factor.”

Nick Gulino, the executive director of Recover Medical Group, said the company offers DUI classes at 11 locations in state and that the demand for in-person classes is the greatest among the Spanish speaking population. Gulino said the county also pays Recover to provide substance use disorder treatments to low-income residents.

“We’ve been working with the county for a while,” he said.

In April, CalMatters published an investigative piece after reviewing 2,600 vehicular manslaughter cases from 2019 to 2024 throughout the state. The nonprofit news organization reported that nearly 40% of the drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter since 2019 continue to have a valid license.

“When it comes to a license suspension, that’s more of an administrative thing that happens over at the Department of Motor Vehicles,” Pratt said. “We take these cases extremely seriously. We make sure that if there’s a plea bargain that all of the laws with respect to suspension are enforced.”

Pratt said two weeks earlier he had been involved with a jury trial involving a woman who drove after receiving five DUI convictions, two in Oregon and three in California.

“She is facing 180 days in jail.” Pratt said. “She wasn’t charged with DUI. She was charged with driving while her privileges were suspended. That is how seriously we take it, because that person is a ticking tomb bomb in terms of causing a fatality or serious injury.”