Correct...watch what happens to the Court system after this change.
As a motor vehicle offense, DWI cases are heard by a Judge (no jury) at the Municipal level. By making it a Criminal Offense, it moves up to County Court for a jury trial.
This increase in cases at the County will lead to a need for more Judges, plus the extra staff associated with them. More courtrooms may also be needed to hold these extra cases.
Officers will no longer be able to stop patrolling their town, go into court, and then return to work. For example, my town had a day and night court. If an Officer had a case, the Court scheduled it for a date and court session he was working. He would patrol the town until he was needed to testify. When needed he go into Court, testify, and then return to the street. With Court now at the County, he will get a subpeona for 9:00 am. He will sit at the Court house and wait to testify. Since the town has no idea how long he will be gone, they have to fill his empty spot with an Officer on overtime.
Need for Jurors will increase.
If you are person charged with DWI, watch for the lawyers fee to increase. I'm sure Lawyers fees are based on a routine trial in front of a judge. If it goes to a jury, they may need several days in Court depending on the evidence and testimony. Your lawyer bill just went up several thousand dollars.
Plea bargaining will increase as a way to keep the cases going to trial to a minimum.
Result will be a more expensive system with less DWI convictions.