Who is Eligible for the Connecticut Alcohol Education Program?

Pursuant to Connecticut General Statute Section 54-56g, whether you are eligible to apply for the Connecticut Alcohol Education Program depends on the answers to the following questions:

(a) Have you ever been previously convicted of DUI in Connecticut?

(b) Have you previously used the AEP within the last 10 years in Connecticut?

(c) Have you ever been convicted of DUI anywhere else in the past?

(d) Have you ever used a program similar to Connecticut’s AEP in another state at anytime in the past?

(e) Was there an accident in which someone was seriously injured?

If your answer to all these questions is no, then you are eligible to apply for the program. If your answer is yes to (a) or (b), then you are not eligible for the AEP. If your answer to (c) or (d) is yes, you may be eligible depending on what the laws were where you were previously convicted or used the program. If your answer to (e) is yes, you may be eligible depending on how serious the injuries were and the attitude of the victim.

Please understand that even if you are eligible for the AEP, does not mean you will automatically get the program. There would first be a hearing on any such application and whether you get the program is left to the Judge’s discretion. For most routine DUI arrests–where the blood alcohol content (BAC) is relatively low and there was no accident or other serious motor vehicle or criminal charge–the AEP application will be granted. If there was a high BAC, an accident with injuries, or other serious motor vehicle violations or criminal charges, the granting of the application is much less certain. In such a situation, you definitely should consider hiring an experienced Connecticut criminal defense lawyer.