What is it?Drug court is a program offered in criminal courts and also some dependency courts throughout the Treasure Coast (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties). In the criminal court arena, it is typically offered by the State Attorney's Office to first time offenders as a diverson court, which means if it's completed, the offender's charges are dropped. An offender could also be sentenced to drug court as a condition of probation, in which case the charges would not be dropped. In the dependency court arena, it is offered to parents by DCF, and can assist parents in obtaining or maintaining custody or visitation of their children.
The purpose of drug court is to give people the tools they need to enter into recovery and maintain a lifetime of sobriety. Drug court is able to provide this through intensive therapy, drug tests, self help meetings, court appearances, and a series of performance based incentives and sanctions by the court. How do you enter?You must ask your attorney to speak to the Assistant State Attorney or DCF attorney to determine if you are eligible for drug court. Once eligibility is determined by the attorneys, you will be placed on a drug court docket. The first time you come to drug court, you will simply observe the proceedings and tell the judge if you are interested.
If you are interested in participating in drug court, you must call the evaluator and set up an appointment. You will discuss with the evaluator your history of drug use and they will then tell you which drug court program you would have to complete should you enter drug court. There are several different programs specifically tailored for the individual participant's needs. The programs include intervention (education), full, or inpatient treatment. The requirements of each program are listed in the agreements on the right. The independent evaluator makes the sole determination as to what level of treatment you will be required to complete upon entry into drug court. In criminal court, on the following court date, you have the option of either entering a plea of No Contest to your charges and accepting drug court or rejecting drug court and going back to traditional court. Upon entering drug court, your sentencing will be postponed to allow you an opportunity to complete the program. After sucessful completion, the criminal charges will be dropped. If you fail to complete drug court, you will be sentenced. In dependency court, if you choose to participate in drug court, you sign the agreement and drug court becomes part of your case plan. Typically, 6 months prior to completion of drug court, the parent is reunified with their child, and upon drug court graduation, the DCF case is dropped. How does it work?Each week a team of professionals - judge, lawyers, treatment providers, case managers, probation officers, law enforcement, coordinators, lab personnel, and educators - meet before court and discuss each participant. After these staffings are complete, the particpants are permitted to enter the courtroom. Typically, the judge will call the "A Team" first. These are the people who have done everything asked of them since the last court date, including testing negative each time their number was called. After the "A Team," the judge calls the "B Team." These people have done something wrong and face a sanction from the judge. The sanction could include jail time, community service hours, an essay, or any other punishment deemed appropriate by the team.
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Court Days and TimesIndian River County
Felony - Wednesdays - 2:30 pm Juvenile - Wednesdays 3:30 pm Martin County Juvenile - Mondays 3:15 pm Felony - Fridays 10:00 am Okeechobee County Felony - Wednesday 3:00 pm Misdemeanor - Wednesday 3:00 pm Juvenile - Wednesday 3:30 pm St. Lucie County Juvenile - Thursdays 3:30 pm Felony - Tuesdays 10:00 am Misdemeanor - Thursdays 9:30 am Quick LinksAA/NA - St. Lucie/Okee
AA/NA - Martin AA/NA - Indian River St Lucie County Drug Lab Martin County Drug Lab Public Defender's Office State Attorney's Office 19th Circuit Court Website Drug Hotline Numbers Core Probation Quick Documents |
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