Community Outreach

Drug Treatment Court

Defendants with alcohol or other drug-related offenses who plead or are deemed guilty may choose to enter the Drug Treatment Court. A collaborative team approach to treatment and supervision is designed to help individual achieve and maintain a clean and sober, productive life. The program is a minimum of 18 months in duration, and requires court appearances every two weeks, intensive treatment, frequent testing, supervision and case management services.

A treatment team, consisting of the Judge, substance abuse counselors, the District Attorney, Probation and a local attorney, meet prior to each Drug Court session to review progress of participants, revise treatment plans as needed and to recommend appropriate rewards and sanctions to be delivered by the judge in open court. When appropriate, individualized treatment plans address physical health, employment, mental health and family issues that may have an impact on the individual's progress in recovery. Successful completion of Drug Court may result in removal of the offense from the record of the Drug Treatment Court graduate.

Peer Court

The Modoc Juvenile Peer Court was established in 1998 as an informal means of handling certain juvenile cases that may be appropriate for formal Court proceedings. If it appears to the Probation Officer that the case would be appropriate for Peer Court (it's not a serious felony and extensive victim restitution is not being requested), the juvenile offender and his/her parent(s) are offered the opportunity to have the youth's case handled through Peer Court. The minor and parent sign a waiver of confidentiality and the minor admits the allegations for the purpose of having the matter heard in Peer Court (because the Peer Court does not determine guilt or innocence, only disposition).

Peer Court is a good opportunity for a juvenile offender to have his/her case handled without it becoming part of a permanent delinquency record. It is also a positive learning experience for local high school students who act as prosecutors, defense attorneys and jurors.