Referral Process
Drug Court Referral Process
- Probation: Once a defendant has entered a guilty plea, the defendant's attorney may ask the judge to order a Drug Court assessment to determine if the defendant is eligible for the program.
- Diversion: Defendants may also enter the Drug Court program through the jurisdiction’s local Class D Diversion procedures. The judge may order a Drug Court assessment to determine eligibility.
- Drug Court staff conduct the eligibility screening. If the defendant is determined to be eligible, a Notice of Eligibility will be sent to the judge. The team will review the defendant’s assessment and other eligibility requirements and decide whether the defendant is appropriate for the Drug Court program.
- While the Drug Court team should have input into the decision, the Drug Court judge ultimately must decide whether to admit an eligible defendant into the program. If the defendant is determined to be appropriate, the judge may order him or her to enter and complete the program at sentencing.
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