Though not present in every jurisdiction, drug courts are an effective alternative to the typical criminal courts when it comes to drug offenses. These courts began in Florida in 1989 and are now present in every state, to one extent or another. United States Attorney General Eric Holder announced this week that drug courts are a “top priority” to the Justice Department.
Without drug courts, addicts and drug offenders who need help are often shuffled in and out of jail with little attention paid to their addiction problems or rehabilitation. Drug courts, however, seek to combine many resources within the community to assist the offender with drug addictions problems that led them to criminal behavior in the first place.
In most situations, people seen in drug court are required to go through a treatment process of some kind, assisting them with beating their addiction. They undergo random drug testing and must appear in front of a judge on a regular basis to monitor their progress. Noncompliance can lead to jail time.
According to Holder, recidivism is lower for people who are processed through a drug court and this is primarily the reason he believes the courts need to be expanded and seems to be committed to allocating more money to the cause.
When drug courts aren’t available, people facing drug charges have to go through the process like any other crime. Drug offenses are typically punished according to the controlled substance in question, with those more dangerous and addictive drugs (like cocaine and heroin) carrying much harsher penalties than marijuana, for instance.
In cases where there is no criminal history, probation can often be worked out in a plea agreement. For a drug offense your probation may include treatment, random drug testing, and even a potential curfew.
If you are facing drug charges, even distribution, our network of defense attorneys can help. We can put you in contact with a defense lawyer in your area that can answer your questions about local laws and even the presence of local drug courts.
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