Beyond Alcohol - Successfully Navigating the New Landscape of Impaired Driving

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Hon. Patrick C. Bowler, retired, served as Judge of the 61st District Court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for twenty-four years, with ten years as the Chief Judge of the Court. He graduated “with honors” from both Michigan State University and the Detroit College of Law. From 1975 1985, Judge Bowler was the Director/Attorney of the Kent County Office of the Defender. Judge Bowler has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at two law schools, Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley, where he taught Criminal Law and Procedure. He also serves as a faculty member of the Michigan Judicial Institute. Judge Bowler was President of the Michigan District Judges Association in 1994. He served on the Executive Board of the Judicial Conference Section of the Michigan State Bar and was elected Chairperson in 1997. Judge Bowler was elected President of the Grand Rapids Bar Association for the term 2002-2003. Judge Bowler founded and served as the Drug Treatment Court Judge and DWI (Sobriety) Court judge for ten years in Kent County, Michigan. He presently serves on the faculty of the National Drug Court Institute as a consultant and has conducted trainings across the country. He has represented the State of Michigan on the Congress of State Drug Court Associations. In 2002, Judge Bowler was elected President of the Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. Judge Bowler was appointed by the Michigan Legislature to serve on the first State Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee and served as Chair of that Committee for six years. Judge Bowler was the recipient of the 2011 Marion Hilligan Public Service Award from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Judge Bowler was selected as the first State of Michigan Judicial Outreach Liaison to provide training and technical assistance to Michigan trial courts and other State officials regarding impaired driving and other traffic issues. At the 2017 Annual Conference of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Judge Bowler was awarded the National DWI Court Leadership Award.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Probation Fellow, Mark Stodola brings over 30 years of experience working in the field of court management and adult probation in Arizona. Mark worked at the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department for 18 years serving in a number of capacities including division director overseeing drug and alcohol treatment programs, problem solving courts and services for the mentally ill. Mark later became the Court Administrator of the Tempe Municipal Court where he served for eight years managing the day to day activities of the court. Most recently Mark served as Program Services Manager in the Adult Probation Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court where he had oversight of treatment programs for Arizona’s Adult Probation Departments. Mark has presented training on topics surrounding high risk drunk drivers at national, regional and state conferences throughout the country. Mark also is an adjunct instructor at Arizona State University. Mark received his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Master’s Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. Mark became a Graduate Fellow through the National Council of State Courts Institute of Court Management.