The Catalyst -  Idaho Drug Court and Mental Health Court Judges

 

The work of each drug court is carried out by the drug court team, led by the Judge, and with staff support and professional/technical guidance from the Drug Court Coordinator. Effective teamwork is essential to an effective drug court. But the catalyst, as in a chemical reaction, is the drug court judge. Without the catalyst there is no reaction among the other ingredients. Indeed, continuing judicial interaction with each drug court participant is one of the key components of the drug court.

 

In 2003, research was published showing the critical importance of the regular judicial hearing in reducing criminal behavior among the high risk offender population.  In addition, another of the key components, assuring “a coordinated strategy to respond to participant compliance” falls primarily to the drug court judge to facilitate, broker, and occasionally mediate. The judge is the team leader and the team captain. In the courtroom, the judge is the leading actor in the drama that is drug court. The perception of the judge’s concern, fairness, but insistence on compliance, is a significant element reported by drug court participants when they describe the success of the program in their lives.

 

Adhering to the research-based principles of behavior modification through the imposition of sanctions and the provision of rewards and positive incentives is a major responsibility of the drug court judge.  Idaho’s drug court judges participate in the program entirely voluntarily and assume a significantly increased workload as a result. However, they also report that the drug court work is highly rewarding and worth the additional effort.

 

As explained in Community Justice in Rural America (Dickey, 2002),
“…judges are key sources of energy for community justice, given the breadth of their judicial experience, their strong feeling of connection to and responsibility for the people in their respective counties, their belief that progress in possible, and their willingness to gather people to solve local problems.”   

Updated August 2008

 

First District

Kootenai  County

Judge Penny Friedlander – Felony Drug Court

Judge John Mitchell – Mental Health Drug Court

Judge Scott Nass – DUI Court (Joel Hazel backup)

Bonner County

Judge Debra Heise – Felony Drug Court

Judge Barbara Buchanan –Felony Drug Court

Judge Steve Verby – Felony Drug Court

Benewah County

Judge Patrick McFadden – Felony Drug Court

Second District

Nez Perce County

Judge Jeff Brudie – Felony Drug Court

Judge Carl Kerrick – (backup for Felony Drug Court)

Judge Kent J. Merica – DUI Court

Judge Greg Kalbfleisch – Mental Health Court 

        (backup for Family Reunification Court)

Judge Jay Gaskill – Family Reunification Court

         (backup for Mental Health Court)

Latah County

Judge John R. Stegner – Felony Drug Court, Mental Health Court

Clearwater and Idaho (and serving Lewis)

Judge John Bradbury – Felony Drug Court, Mental Health Court  

 

Third

Canyon County

Judge George A. Southworth – Felony Drug Court

Judge Renae Hoff – Mental Health Court

Judge Frank P. Kotyk – Mental Health Court

Adams, Washington and Payette Counties

Judge Lynn Krogh – Tri County Felony Drug Court

Judge Tyler Smith – Gem County Felony Drug Court

 

Fourth

Ada County

Judge Ronald Wilper – Felony Drug Court

Judge Cheri C. Copsey – Felony Drug Court

Judge J. William Harrigfeld - Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Michael McLaughlin - Mental Health Court

Fifth

Entire District

Judge John K. Butler – Felony Drug Court

Blaine County

Judge Robert Elgee  - Felony  Drug Court

Mark Ingram – (substitute for Judge Robert Elgee)

Mini/Cassia County

Judge Larry Duff – Juvenile Drug Court

Twin Falls County

Judge Mark Ingram – Juvenile Meth Court

Judge Richard Bevan – Mental Health Court

Judge Howard Smyser – DUI Court

Sixth

Bannock County

Judge Bryan Murray – Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Robert Naftz  (as of December 4, 2007)– Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge David C. Nye  – (as of December 5, 2007) Felony Drug Court

Judge Ronald Bush – Felony Mental Health Court

Caribou County

Judge Ronald Hart – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Mitch Brown – Felony Drug Court

Oneida County

Judge David Evans – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Power County

Judge Paul S. Laggis – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Franklin County

Judge Eric S. Hunn – Felony Drug Court

Seventh

Bingham County

Judge Jon Shindurling – Felony Drug Court

Judge Scott Hansen – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Darren Simpson – Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Ryan Boyer – Mental Health Court

Bonneville

Judge Gregory Anderson – Felony Drug Court

Judge Penny Stanford – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Stephen Clark – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Mark Riddoch – Child Protection Court

Judge Ralph Savage – Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Joel Tingey – Mental Health Court

Judge Brent Moss – Mental Health Court

Judge Michael Kennedy – Juvenile Mental Health Court

Judge Linda Cook – Diversion

Butte

Judge Ralph Savage – Felony/Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Custer

Judge Ralph Savage – Felony/Misdemeanor Drug Court

 

Fremont

Judge Brent Moss – Felony Drug Court

Judge Keith Walker – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Michael Kennedy – Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Brent Moss – Mental Health Court

Jefferson

Judge Brent Moss – Felony Drug Court

Judge Keith Walker – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Michael Kennedy – Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Brent Moss – Mental Health Court

Lemhi/Custer

Judge Stephen Clark – Adult Felony/Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Madison

Judge Brent Moss – Felony Drug Court

Judge Keith Walker – Misdemeanor/DUI Drug Court

Judge Michael Kennedy – Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Brent Moss – Mental Health Court

Jefferson/Madison/Fremont (Upper Valley)

Judge Michael Kennedy – Juvenile Mental Health

Teton

Judge Colin Luke – Felony Drug Court, Misdemeanor DUI Drug Court