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DUS dominates daily docket

It is a common offense. Very common in Minot Municipal Court. There are many days when people charged with driving under suspension comprise the majority of appearances before the court.

A day in court last week saw the appearance of two individuals who were each facing five charges of driving under suspension. One of the individuals, who pleaded guilty to his first driving under suspension charge in 1998 and more DUS in the following years, was given more time for the purpose of trying to get his license reinstated before facing a mandatory sentence of four days in jail.

Another driver with a suspended license, who was cited by Minot Police for driving under suspension in April, May, June and twice in July of this year, is attempting to reach a plea agreement with the City of Minot and thereby avoid a court trial.

Driver’s licenses can be suspended for a variety of offenses, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Getting a driver’s license reinstated involves payment of mandatory fines and fees of $275 plus an additional $50 to $100 reinstatement fee required by the Department of Transportation.

Sometimes the court will order an offender to complete a chemical dependency evaluation. Those evaluations also come with a cost to the offender. The price of the evaluations can vary according to circumstances, generally starting somewhere around $100 depending on the provider of the service.

For some offenders the amount of money needed to activate their driver’s license is too costly for their budget. Many choose to simply risk driving without a license.

According to the latest information supplied by the NDDOT, Ward County has 48,000 licensed drivers and 1,646 suspended licenses. The number of suspended driver’s licenses statewide is 18,242. North Dakota has 551,046 drivers with valid licenses.

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