The Examination of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Violation from Roadside to Docket
Days
Course Location
Online
During this course, you will learn to:
- Identify what officers look for in the field when monitoring commercial motor vehicles (CMVs);
- Define what gets the ticket from the field to the court system and the importance of each role in the ticketing process.
- Describe important CDL infraction indicators for prosecutors and court staff that officers need to be aware of and utilize when issuing tickets in the field;
- Ascertain where prosecutors need to be mindful when filing charges on CDL infractions, and when sending the driver to a deferral or diversion program may be masking of these traffic violations;
- Illustrate what Judges and court staff need to be cognizant of when adjudicating a CDL infraction, so as to avoid masking of a violation at the time or adjudication or prior; and
- Demonstrate the court administrator’s role in submitting a CDL ticket to the state’s department or bureau of motor vehicles, which ensures that infractions are posted to the driver’s history and the State Driver License Agency (SDLA).
Although large truck and bus involved traffic fatalities comprise almost ten percent of all traffic fatalities, relatively little commercial motor vehicle (CMV) or CDL training is offered for prosecutors, law enforcement and court staff. There is a similar dearth of training related to the function of court clerks and the reporting of driver license related convictions to the state driver licensing agency (SDLA). This gap in training results in prosecutors who may be unaware of the strict reporting guidelines imposed on the SDLA by federal funding agencies. The problem is further complicated when non-traffic related criminal offenses carry license related sanctions and the underlying offenses are not handled by traffic-focused prosecutors.
The NJC has prepared CDL modules that judges can provide to their court staff and clerks, to include information regarding the function of court clerks and the reporting of driver license related convictions to the SDLA. The self-study, web-based interactive CDL course includes readings, quizzes and other interactive content.
This course qualifies for The National Judicial College Certificate in Judicial Development program Administrative Law Adjudication Skills, Dispute Resolution Skills, General Jurisdiction Trial Skills, Special Court Trial Skills, and Tribal Judicial Skills disciplines.