The Examination of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Violation from Roadside to Docket

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.