DUI court featured in Emmy-winning film

A public safety film featuring a local court program to curb drunken driving became an unlikely double Emmy winner at the 35th annual Southeast Regional Emmy Awards in Atlanta this summer.

"Not many (public safety agencies) in the country are able to produce a presentation deemed to be of any caliber (by an awards academy)," said Athens-Clarke State Court Judge Kent Lawrence.

The film, produced by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and called "Enduring Regret: Chris Sandy's Story of Living Life After Causing Death," won Emmys for best documentary for a television presentation with dramatic impact and best director June 27 from the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The film tells the story of Chris Sandy, a Georgia inmate who was sentenced to 13 years in prison and 17 years of probation for killing an elderly couple when he crashed into them while driving drunk when he was 22 years old.

Sandy speaks in high schools across the state, sharing his story and warning about the dangers of DUI.

"Chris Sandy speaks from the heart, and has an incredible story to tell. To see Chris do his presentation is probably as powerful as anything I've ever seen," said Lawrence, who plans to show "Enduring Regret" in his DUI court program, which works to rehabilitate repeat offenders.

While the Emmy-winning feature shows the worst that can happen while driving drunk, it also features a six-minute segment highlighting the effectiveness of Georgia's DUI courts, using the Athens-Clarke DUI court program as an example.

While Lawrence plans to use the film in the local program, he admits the film may not change every viewer.

"Will the film have an impact on everyone who sees it? No. Will it have an impact on some? We think so. If it saves even one life, it was worth every minute of time spent filming, and every penny spent on production. Life is that valuable," Lawrence said.

Judges and prosecutors across the country are re-evaluatin

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