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 judges 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. Idahos 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
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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
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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
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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 |
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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 |
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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
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