News Item

Tenth Judicial District Judge James Dehn will be presented with The Century Council's 2013 Kevin E. Quinlan Award For Excellence in Traffic Safety at the Council's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on December 5, 2013. The Council is a coalition of distillers focused on "fighting drunk driving and underage drinking," and it is recognizing Judge Dehn for his efforts in that regard.

Judge Dehn, chambered in Isanti County District Court, pioneered the staggered sentencing approach for repeat drunk driving offenders, which is now used in more than 30 states and was studied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He was the first judge in the nation to require repeat drunk driving offenders to wear a pre-trial continuous alcohol monitoring device. He also founded the Minnesota SAFE RIDE program and the longest-running “Last Place of Drink” tracking program in the country.

“The Century Council has been fighting drunk driving for more than two decades and we’re proud to have Judge James Dehn as a steadfast partner committed to making our roads safer. We need to continue to recognize these tireless advocates and support their efforts,” said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Century Council.