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4 Jud. Div. Rec. 1 (2000-2001)

handle is hein.aba/judrc0004 and id is 1 raw text is: Judges Ridgely, Miller and Russell Answer Questions During Panel on Drug Courts by ludge Joel D. Medd Grand Forks, ND D Drug Courts work? How do they 3 work? Should they be expanded? These were among the topics discussed during a panel program at the Annual Meeting. National Conference of State Trial Judges Chair Judge Leslie Miller, of Tucson, AZ and NCSTJ Executive Committee Member Judge Hank duPont Ridgely, of Dover, DE were members of the panel along with Judge Robert Russell of Buffalo, NY, Barry Mahoney of Denver, CO and John Feinblatt, the Director of the Center for Court inniovatioli of the NY State's Unified Court System. The moderator indicated that Drug Courts were successful in that more than Pairlists rol] 70, of participants stay in the program despite the difficult populations that most programs target. Drug Courts are cost effective with the average cost component of between $1,200 and $3,500 while the costs for jailing a Defendant have been estimated as being at least $5,000. The Judges, including Judge Miller, explained that most judges derived a tremendous amount of satisfaction from handling drug court. Judge Miller cited an instance where a participant turned himself in stating that lie had used dngs knowing that it involved a sanction of sone jail time. She stated that the participant wanted to continue in the program to get help, citing the fact that his grandchildren now wanted to spend time with him, when they didn't want to before. Judge Ridgely cited similar instances. He cited that from his presiding judge point of to fight: Jadgns RiV!Irl), Miller ani gtttsel. view Dalg Courts were warranted to timely dispose of drug cases. Prisons and jails arc being filled with drug offenders, often based on mandatory minimum sentences. Drug courts offer an effective alternative to expensive incarceration. Judge Miller's Drug Court in Tucson, AZ was recently featured on ABRs Nightline with Ted Koppel, Crime & Punishment, Drug Court, Waging War on Drugs in a Totally Different Way. The principles (conlfinedl on pager 9) Art 16 Nolional Conference of Special Court Judges National Conference of Administrative Low Judges 20 lational Conference of State Trial Judges National Conference of Federal Trial Judges 38 JUDICInL D IVI SION 29 Digitized from Best Copy Available Lawoyrs Conference 33