FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 5211

                           C 56 L 99

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Clarifying the jurisdiction over drunk drivers.

Sponsors:  Senators Costa, Roach, Fairley, Goings, West and Winsley.

Senate Committee on Judiciary

House Committee on Judiciary

Background:  The district and municipal courts generally have jurisdiction over criminal defendants for two years.  In 1998, in conjunction with many changes in DUI penalties, these courts were given five years of jurisdiction over drunk driving cases.

Although the specific DUI laws were amended to grant this five-year period of jurisdiction, the general laws on jurisdiction of district and municipal courts still provide for a two-year period of jurisdiction.

Very long periods of mandatory use of ignition interlocks were part of the 1998 changes to DUI laws.  For a third-time offender, the minimum period of required use is ten years.

Summary:  The statutes that deal generally with district and municipal court jurisdiction over criminal defendants are amended in two ways:

$the statutes are made to explicitly reflect the five-year jurisdiction granted in the DUI law changes;

$the enforcement of ignition interlock orders is exempt from the jurisdictional time restrictions.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 44 0

House     90 0

Effective:  July 25, 1999