If you have been charged with a drug related offense and are facing jail time, entry into Drug Court may be utilized as an alternative to serving a jail sentence. When someone gets sentenced to Drug Court, he or she will be put on a five-year probationary term with several conditions imposed. For example, prior to entrance into drug court, a defendant must undergo a drug evaluation. If the evaluation recommends a long-term in-patient program, the defendant must complete at least a six-month in-patient program. After completion of the program, the person must report to Drug Court on a regular basis, where there is continual drug testing. The drug court team will monitor the participant and make sure that he or she is working and taking proactive steps towards recovery.
If a defendant relapses, leaves a program or violates drug court in any form, then he or she will be facing a violation of probation. The defendant will most likely be incarcerated following issuance of this violation warrant, and he or she could be terminated from the program and sentenced to jail for a time period to be determined by the Judge. There will be a violation hearing prior to any termination.
Drug Court is a very serious program that is only appropriate for certain defendants, depending on the facts and circumstances of the underlying criminal case.
It is imperative that an experienced criminal defense attorney handles the matter so that the defendant is aware of all their options and makes a well informed and appropriate decision in terms of how to resolve the criminal matter.