Cuyahoga County to Start Drug Court
Cleveland Plain Dealer Blog
Tom Benning
June 13, 2008
Judges in Cuyahoga County have voted to establish a countywide drug court.
Cuyahoga County judges didn’t let the chance to start a drug court slip through their grasp a second time.
Common Pleas Court judges unanimously voted in favor of a countywide drug court this week — 11 years after voting against such a measure. Court officials hope the treatment program will be up and running within a year.
“We are not going to be soft on crime,” Court Administrator and former Common Pleas judge Tom Pokorny said. “We are going to be smart on crime.”
Drug court is a yearlong treatment program for non-violent drug offenders. Participants must submit to random drug tests, counseling and job training. If they graduate, charges are dismissed. If they fail, they serve out their sentence.