On Wednesday, July 13, the Oakland County Adult Treatment Court (ATC) conducted its 47th graduation since its inception in August of 2001. Oakland County Circuit Court Judges Joan Young (front row, third from left) and Shalina Kumar (front row, third from right) congratulated the 216th through the 224th graduates at a ceremony and reception held in the Commissioners Auditorium at the Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac. Among the graduates were (front row, l-r) Maynard Aldrich, Amanda Kirn, Renee Fazica, and Robert Haynes; (back) Timothy Simmons, Michael Castello, and Dustin Kaiser. Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen sent a congratulatory letter to the graduates in which she said: “Completion of this program is a tremendous achievement that requires a great deal of determination and strength, and I am extremely proud of all the graduates’ hard work. . . Michigan problem-solving courts serve as a national model of how well-managed diversion programs can help reduce crime, save money, and improve graduates’ quality of life.” The ATC offers a sentencing alternative for non-violent felony offenders with serious substance abuse problems. The focus is to intervene in the substance abuse and eliminate criminal activity through intense court supervision and utilization of various recovery and counseling services. Beyond the extremely close judicial and community supervision and the intense substance-abuse treatment, frequent substance abuse testing is required. In addition, the participants are expected to find and maintain employment, pay court costs, including restitution to the victims of their crimes, and, take responsibility for the support of their children.
Photo by John Meiu
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
