KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasNew Las Vegas DUI Court Tackles Problem
"And I saw my car in pieces," said Khin Win-Mauro. "He was in a car accident. Hit by a drunk driver."A new Las Vegas court plans to focus on treating the drunk driving problem rather than just putting offenders behind bars.
There have been more than 1,700 DUI arrests so far this year, which is nearly 300 more than this time last year.
Khin Win-Mauro visits the hospital daily to spend time with her father-in-law, who is fighting for his life after he was hit by a drunk driver. But that is only part of her story, because three months ago she lost her husband in a drunk driving incident.
Khin Win-Mauro, and her husband, Donn, had big plans. The newlyweds arranged to fly to Burma to have another marriage ceremony in front of Khin's parents. It never happened.
"I'll forever miss him," Win-Mauro said.
On Feb. 6, 24-year-old Mauro went out for a late night snack but he never came home. Khin remembers going out to look for him.
"And I saw my car in pieces," said Khin Win-Mauro. "He was in a car accident. Hit by a drunk driver." While Donn Mauro's family was trying to cope with his death, Donn's father was also hit by a drunk driver. Alfonso Mauro is in critical condition and his family visits him every day.
"Something needs to happen... This is the second time in our family," Johnson said. The Mauro family wants changes, harsher punishments, and different treatment of drunk drivers.
"This behavior has to stop," said DUI Court Judge Betsy Kolkoski. Different treatment can now be found in Las Vegas judge Betsy Kolkoski's courtroom.
"My court is the first court to have it." Her court is the first intensive DUI court in Las Vegas.
Violators must show up to court every month for a year. Random drug and alcohol tests are part of the alternative program and so are individual and group counseling sessions.
"The main thing is to stop people from driving drunk, that's really the bottom line," Kolkoski said. "Fewer drunk drivers would mean fewer families suffering."
"It broke my heart," Win-Mauro said. "We're gonna be suffering our entire lives."
The Mauro family is convinced harsher punishment is the main answer to stop drunk driving. As for the DUI court, it's in its early stages. If it is successful, the goal is to have the program in several Las Vegas courts.
