News
PRC Approves Electric Co-op's Variance

Biomass Firm Claims Deal

A Forge-Fired Degree

School Year Starts With Buses Rolling Smoothly

'They Took My Life Savings'

Minors Work at DWI Memorial

Saddle Makes All the Difference

Moriarty Discusses New School

Trustee May Step in for Hibbs

Committee Tackles Canyon Traffic

More
News

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Torrance Judge Works to Set Up Drug Court

By Laura Nesbitt
Mountain View Telegraph
    A6 Thursday, September 20, 2007 Mountain View Telegraph
    After his arraignment on a probation violation by Torrance County Magistrate Judge Steve Jones on Aug. 15, Robert Lipsey was escorted from the court— in handcuffs, sobbing— by law enforcement officials.
    Jones told Lipsey, 27, that he might have to spend 267 days in jail for violating the terms of his probation on a criminal trespassing charge.
    "Can I just go home for one day— one day?" Lipsey pleaded with Jones before telling his mother that he loved her.
    Jones ordered that Lipsey be held without bond and appointed a court attorney for him. On Aug. 29 Lipsey was sentenced to enter a treatment program within 30 days of his release on Aug. 31.
    Lipsey has an ongoing problem with drug and alcohol abuse, said Julie Tindel, judicial supervisor for Magistrate Court, in a phone interview Monday.
    After 14 years on the bench, Jones admitted that when he began it was difficult for him to understand addiction.
    "I thought, 'These people don't have any willpower,' '' Jones said in an interview Sept. 13.
    But watching offenders, repeat offenders and those with substance abuse and mental health issues revolve through his courtroom has affected the judge.
    "I got a hopeless feeling that we weren't doing any good, so I studied addiction," Jones said. "And we can only do so many things, but shame on us if we don't. Treatment is not a popular thing, not with the Legislature and not with other folks."
    James Gilson, a licensed professional clinical counselor who performs substance abuse screenings for Moriarty Magistrate Court, has screened clients for almost 40 different courts from all over the state including district, magistrate and municipal courts.
    "Judge Jones is one of the best judges in the state for realizing the complexity of mental health and substance abuse issues," Gilson said. "He recognizes their co-occurring nature."
    For that reason, Jones is working to implement a DWI Drug Court on the magistrate level for Torrance County. The state Supreme Court mandated in 2003 that every county implement a drug court by 2011.
    Drug court is designed to reduce repeat offenders and substance abuse while increasing the offender's likelihood of successful rehabilitation. The four basic types of drug court include DWI, adult, juvenile and family dependency.
    Jones' staff is already working to create an adult drug court for Torrance County.
    Suzie Rossignol, a Magistrate Court clerk, filed for a federal grant to train Magistrate Court staff on implementing a DWI drug court. She visited several drug courts in the state to learn about their programs.
    Rossignol also worked with an offender, charged with aggravated DWI, open container and improper display of registration, who was seen by Jones at Magistrate Court.
    For three months on at least a weekly basis in what she called a "pilot program," Rossignol had the offender blow random Breathalyzer tests, bring in job applications, attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, go to counseling and perform community service work— requirements similar to those of a drug court.
    "The person is currently employed" and doing well, Rossignol said.
    Gilson said he has conducted 165 screenings of adults in the past 18 months for Moriarty Magistrate Court. Substances abused included alcohol, methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Clients also reported having used LSD, mushrooms, peyote, inhalants like markers or glue, and valium and other prescription drugs.
    Those screened were both residents and nonresidents of Torrance County.
    "The goals of the DWI screening program are to decrease recidivism by making sure that all offenders get the treatment that they need in order to stay out of legal trouble," Gilson stated in an e-mail.
    Gilson tracked 52 of his clients and, as of June, none had been re-arrested for DWI anywhere else in the state.
    Jones said that during his years as a judge he has watched people with addictions lose their businesses, their homes and their families.
    "It's real easy to set people up to fail," Jones said. "You need to set them up to succeed."