A new program is paving the way for repeat drunk driving offenders to turn their lives around and benefit their communities in the process.
Last week, more than 50 people squeezed into a classroom at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Law, representing communities and public offices from across the state, to support the first graduating class of Lancaster County’s DUI Court.
Three men stood with their attorneys before Lancaster County District Court Judge Darla Ideus and retired Judge John Colborn to have their felony-level DUI charges reduced to misdemeanors, and to commemorate nearly two years of rigorous commitment to reach this point.
“They worked their tails off, so I’m glad to see a good turnout," said Jared Baker, a probation officer with the program whose duties include twice-daily drug and alcohol testing of the participants.
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The ceremony for Joshua Hansen, 32; Seth Liebers, 33; and Daniel Rice, 37, included remarks from Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican, Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon and Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly.
After a video presentation that included recorded speeches from the graduates’ friends and family, the three men were formally absolved of their felony charges and given framed certificates, as well as a chance to speak.
“Going into (the program), I’d already kind of started making some changes in myself, but I think that this program just helped me solidify those changes in my life,” Hansen said.
Liebers thanked those who helped him along the way, and, in a brief moment of levity, reminded the audience not to drink and drive.
After Rice’s attorney made the motion for an order of discharge for felony DUI, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Ryan Decker held back a smile as he declined to object for the third time that night, leading those in the room to erupt into another wave of applause.
Rice spoke last, sending a message to future participants in the DUI Court.
“The program takes a lot of work,” he said. “People make it harder on themselves by resisting. Just give in and put the work in. It’s worth it, it changes lives, and it’s changed the way that I live my life.”
Mindy Millan-Groves, the coordinator for the DUI Court, agreed. She said the program’s requirements, including community service and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, helped the graduates develop a support system.
“They’ve changed their lives completely,” she said. “That community engagement is very important to them, and it’s changed their way of habit.”
Beyond weekly meetings, the program comes with a laundry list of obligations, including a strict no-tolerance policy toward the consumption of any substances not approved by a coordinator like Millan-Groves or even a trace amount of alcohol.
Those substances include products such as Nyquil, mouthwash and even foods containing poppy seeds. The program manual even advises against excessive use of products like hand sanitizer and certain brands of bug spray to avoid a positive test.
The program, which is only available to those charged with felony DUI, has five phases, including a four-week orientation phase, three 16-week phases and a final 26-week phase. It also includes “intensive outpatient training" curriculum designed to give participants the tools needed to stay sober, according to Millan-Groves.
The program requires participants to maintain residence in Lancaster County and secure transportation to meetings and service hours.
Despite the demanding nature of the program, Baker said he was glad to see all three graduates buy in within the first month.
“When you see the commitment that they make, and the light bulb goes on, it’s blatantly obvious,” Baker said. “After that, just honesty being a big key with them; each of the graduates fell into that category.”
Baker said their success was even more meaningful given that the program is new. It was founded in the summer of 2021 to address an uptick in felony DUI convictions during the early days of the pandemic, according to Millan-Groves.
“Just understanding that this is the first time we’re all doing this, so there might be some things that we might have to switch and not have other people do because it’s not worth it,” Baker said. “All three of them understood that and were willing to work with the program and do whatever it took.”
Millan-Groves said she sees plenty of potential for change with the program going forward, not just in terms of procedures but also with the number of applicants it accepts. Currently, the program has a cap of 28 people at any given time in the first four phases. The program is currently at capacity, with another class set to graduate in April.
“I can definitely see this program expanding," she said.
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In their own words: Judges, lawyers, professors discuss diversity in Nebraska's legal community
On Juneteenth, as the country neared Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's swearing-in as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Journal Star reached out to several people on the bench, in the legal community and at Nebraska's law schools to ask their thoughts about diversity in the state's courtrooms.
We asked what drew them to a career in law; how long they've been working in Nebraska and if they plan to stay; why diversity is important in the judicial system and what can be done to foster diversity in the legal community.
View their answers below.
Job title: Law Clerk at the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office
Job title: Assistant Professor of Law Library and Reference Librarian in the Law Library at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Job title: Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Nebraska College of Law
Deputy Platte County Attorney Jose Rodriguez grew up in New York and graduated from Creighton University School of Law.
