- Breaking the Cycle, St.Petersburg Times, April 3, 1998
The 15-year-old in the baggy jeans is a sophomore at Chamberlain High School,at least on days when he shows up for class. Other days, he skips school to hang out with friends who smoke bowls of marijuana and snort Special K,a drug veterinarian suse as a cat tranquilizer.Ihe drug makes him feel simultaneously stoned, drunk and off-balance. [view full article]
- Juvenile court designed to help kids
TAMPA - You won't see any hardened criminals with long rap sheets at Juvenile Drug Court. [view full article]
- 5 honored for work on state drug court, Tampa & State, The Times, Tuesday, August 5, 1997
Five Tampa people who helped make Florida's drug court system a national model were honored Monday by the Florida Supreme Court. [view full article]
- Hillsborough's new juvenile drug court receives federal grant, Florida/Metro, The Tampa Tribune, Friday, May 10, 1996
WASHINGTON - Hillsborough County's new juvenile drug court will receive $250,000 for computers, case managers and an anti-drug program, for schools as part of more than $1 million designated for Florida communities by the Justice Department, Attorney General Janet Reno announced Thursday. [view full article]
- Thoughts of the Week, La Gaceta, Thursday, May 24, 1996
There are all kinds of judges: the "hanging judges." the "nonsense judges," and, occasionally, we come across the "caring judges." A caring judge is one who uses judicial discretion not as a tool of punishment, but... [view full article]
- New drug court: antidote for young criminals?, St. Petersburg Times, Thursday, February 8, 1996
Eight teenagers charged with drug related crimes made local history Wednesday when they became part of Hillsborough's new juveunle drug court. [view full article]
- Tne drug court for youths helps fill gap, Tampa & State, The Times, Monday, March 11, 1996
TAMPA - On a soggy, dismal morning, the teenagers and their parents straggle into the courtroom. No one is smiling. [view full article]
News Article Clippings
Intro
In 1989 a Circuit Court Judge in Dade County, Florida began the first drug court as an experiment to see if his efforts would have an effect on halting the rapid increasing recidivism rates of felony drug cases that had been inundating the criminal justice system in alarming numbers since the mid-1980's. This experiment involved a sitting judge taking an active role in supervising a felony case load by sentencing the substance abusing offender to intense community treatment and by resetting the offenders to return to court at regular intervals in order for him to personally check on their progress.
Within a very short period of time other jurisdictions were using this Miami court as an example, adapting changes that would fit into their local government and court system. Within 10 years drug courts were underway in 49 of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and a number of foreign countries besides two federal district courts and a number of Native American Tribal Courts.
The first statistics coming out of early studies indicated that the retention rates, the number of offenders graduating successfully or still enrolled in treatment, was more that double the retention rate for traditional programs.
Also, during that first decade a Drug Court Standards Committee under the cooperation of the NADCP (National Association of Drug Court Professionals) and the Drug Court Programs Office, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice along with a diverse group of drug court practitioners developed the "best practices" or benchmarks of what makes up a drug court. Today, these Ten Key Components of a Drug Court are the accepted standards around the world for what makes a drug court A Drug Court.
Pre-Trial Intervention Drug Court
The first drug court in Tampa, the Pre-Trial Intervention Drug Court, was developed and implemented under the direction of Chief Judge F. Dennis Alvarez. Attached is a copy of Administrative Order 92-89 creating the Drug Court. The first court session was held June 22, 1992, with Judge Alvarez as the presiding judge. At this time the drug court movement was still new in the country and funds were not available from either the state or local sources for such a program. However, through the work and dedication of Judge Alvarez, and without a funding source, the PTI Drug Court began with that first court admitting 3 defendants into treatment.
By mid 1993 the program had grown to 100 defendants. In 1996the cap, for the major treatment provider, was raised to 200 and in 1997 raised again to 225. The cap was again raised in 2000 to 250where it remains today. However, the Program has never had to turn anyone away for not having treatment space. The Court has been able to utilize more than just this first provider in times when the census has reached the capacity for their agency.
Up through October 1995 the court operated the program with existing personnel and without receiving additional funds. In October1995 a Drug Court Coordinator position was added through a Department of Justice, Bureau of Community Assistance (Byrne) Grant administered by the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
The Department of Corrections assigned one Pre-Trial Intervention Probation Officer part-time to the program in 1992. By mid 1993 a second officer was added, both working full time for the Drug Court Program. A third officer was added in 1994, plus a Spanish speaking officer was assigned to handle the Spanish speaking cases. Presently there are four full time officers probation officers assigned to the drug court plus a Spanish speaking officer.
Since the beginning of the program, the treatment has been provided by DACCO, (Drug Abuse Comprehensive Coordinating Office, Inc.)Other agencies are regularly utilized for specialized treatment: Goodwill for Intensive Day Treatment; PAR, Phoenix House, ACTS and Crossroads for Residential Programs; PMG (Psychological Management Group, Inc.) for individual specialized groups.
Chief Judge Alvarez presided over this court until June 1994when the responsibilities transferred to Judge Donald C. Evans. Judge Evans ran the Pre-Trial Intervention Drug Court for three years until May 1997, when Judge Alvarez again resumed the responsibilities for the Pre-Trial Intervention Drug Court. Judge Jack Espinosa, Jr., assumed responsibilities for the Pre-Trial Intervention Drug Court in May 2000. The current presiding judge, Judge Vivian C. Maye, took over the PTI Drug Court in March 2005.
Drug Division
In May 1994, Circuit Judge Donald C. Evans began the first post-adjudication drug court in Florida. An entire felony division, Division Y, or the Drug Division, was established to handle these offenders.
In January 1997, the Drug Division was expanded (See Administrative Order S-04-29-97-003). There were further changes in 1998 (See Administrative Order S-04-29-98-086) and again in 2001 (Administrative Order S-2000-117). Finally, in January 2004, Administrative Order S-2003-077 took effect. In this Order the Drug Division was once again reduced to one division, Division Y.
- 1994 - January 7, 2003
Judge Donald C. Evans Drug Division "Y" Administrative Judge (1994-2003) - January 1997 - March 2004
Judge Jack Espinosa, Jr. Drug Division "X" and "Y" Administrative judge (2003-present) - May 2000 - April 2002
Judge Florence Foster Drug Division "X" - May 2002 - September 2003
Judge Denise A. Pomponio Drug Division "X" - September 2003 - December 2003
Judge Daniel L. Perry Drug Division "X" - January 2003- January 2004
Judge J. Kevin Carey Drug Division "Y" - March 2005 – present
Judge Vivian C. Maye
Drug Division "Y" The Drug Divisions have not received any direct outside funding for the operations of this drug court. Treatment is provided primarily through the Department of Corrections under contracts their Programs Office allows throughout the State. The Administrative Office of the Courts, 13th Judicial Circuit, employees three full-time employees who work exclusively as evaluators in this division.
Juvenile Drug Court
Tampa's Juvenile Drug Court was also developed and implemented under the direction of Chief Judge F. Dennis Alvarez. This was the first Juvenile Drug Court put into operation in the State of Florida and one of the first in the Nation.
The first court session was held on February 7, 1996 with Judge Alvarez as the presiding judge. At that first court, eight youth were admitted into treatment. Within six months there were 58 participants and within one year there were 85 youth receiving treatment through the program. The program has continued to expand until today the program handles 300 youth.
Initially treatment was been provided by ACTS, Inc. (Agency for Community Treatment Serviced, Inc.). Today the Juvenile Drug Court utilizes four treatment agencies for the core treatment programs, DACCO, Inc., Goodwill, Phoenix House and ACTS. Many other agencies supply specialized and residential programs.
The Tampa Juvenile Drug Court began operating without additional funding but received a grant from the Drug Court Programs Office, Department of Justice, shortly after the beginning operations. This first grant provided two Drug Court Specialist I positions who handle liaison some case management and in-court support for the judge. These positions were made permanent positions in the Administrative Office of the Courts after the grant expired. The treatment agency, ACTS, also received Byrne Grant funds for treatment during the first four years of the program. Presently none of the treatment programs supplying treatment for the Juvenile Drug Court are receiving grant funding.
In the Spring of 1999 the Tampa Juvenile Drug Court began a program in cooperation with the Hillsborough County School System. It was at this time when the drug court expanded to three treatment agencies and expanded beyond the cap of 225 that had been in place for a couple of years.
October 1, 2002 we received a Edward Byrne Memorial Grant which allowed us to hire a Drug Court Specialist I especially to handle the case management functions for the referrals coming from the schools. This position was picked up as a permanent position by the State on July 1, 2004.
13TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT 2008 All RIGHTS RESERVED