The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers issued a report this week which analyzes the national use of drug courts.The group says that low-level drug offenders deserve treatment in the public health sector without being penalized by the criminal justice system.

The first drug court was started in Miami-Dade County in 1989 as a response to the rocketing numbers of drug-related crimes. More than 2,100 such courts exist today across the country, including the local Tampa Bay counties.

The criminal defense lawyers’ report concludes that failing in a drug court program often means defendants face tougher sentences than if they not sought help at all. The group believes that defendants shouldn’t have to plead guilty to receive treatment.

The local paper quoted Jim Downum, Hillsborough County’s drug court coordinator, on the report. Downum believes that the Hillsborough County drug court works well.

“You have people with substance abuse issues. That may be a public health issue, but they’ve broken the law to get here. The legal system has to run its course as well,” said Downum.

There are drug court programs in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee and Sarasota counties. In drug court programs, a judge typically monitors offenders for 12 to 24 months as they receive intensive treatment and other services. They are held accountable by the judge, must complete treatment, take regular, random drug tests and appear frequently in court for progress reviews.

See Also:

• Florida Drug Courts Celebrate 20 Year Anniversary

Drug Charges, Felonies

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 8:23 pm and is filed under Florida Criminal Law News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.