Judicial Resource Liaison
The Texas Center for the Judiciary is pleased to announce Judge Mark D. Atkinson as their Judicial Resource Liaison. This position is funded by a three year grant from the Texas Department of Transportation. NHTSA has identified Texas as a high priority state where impaired driving is a significant highway safety issue. By working with the Texas judiciary, the Judicial Resource Liaison will assist in reaching TxDOT’s goal of reducing the number of DWI-related crashes, injuries and fatalities.
Judge Atkinson will improve adjudication of DWI cases through improved training for judges, administrative license revocation judges, and prosecutors. He will implement DWI court training; act as a resource for additional training related to impaired drivers; and improve support materials for judges and prosecutors.
To achieve those objectives, Judge Atkinson will promote judicial understanding and support for DWI Courts which are distinct court dockets dedicated to changing the behavior of alcohol and drug dependent offenders arrested for DWI. The goal of these courts is to protect public safety by attacking the root cause of DWI: alcohol and other drug abuse.
Judge Atkinson will survey and collaborate with judges who hear traffic safety cases to identify and provide comprehensive training that addresses their specific needs. As a liaison with the judiciary, he will implement training to facilitate judicial understanding of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Drug Recognition Experts, and other issues that arise in impaired driving cases. His activities will encourage widespread collaboration and enhance cooperation between NHTSA, TxDOT, and other appropriate impaired driving stakeholders, programs, services, and initiatives.
Judge Atkinson will be working with Texas judges to review and identify case processing and disposition systems best practices from selected Texas counties. The Texas Center website will provide consistent, up-to-date online reference materials to assist judges who hear traffic safety cases and will include updates and changes concurrent with legislative and case law changes. As Liaison, Judge Atkinson will also help write the quarterly DWI Newsletters, and review publications, resources, links, and other reference materials to keep judges current on the latest developments in traffic safety law.