Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office

In an effort to find more effective ways to prosecute and rehabilitate criminal offenders, the District Attorney’s Office continually explores alternatives to incarceration.  One of those alternatives that has proven successful is the Drug Court program.  Those who graduate from Drug Court do so free of addiction and have learned how to avoid better the types of behavior that lead to drug use and addiction.  In addition to having tools to keep their lives clean, Drug Court graduates benefit from having the charges against them dismissed. Currently, there are about 900 offenders taking advantage of their opportunity to overcome addiction and clean up their lives.

The DA’s Office participates in three felony drug courts (Mondays at the West Jordan Courthouse and Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Matheson Courthouse).  The information that follows helps explain the basics of those drug courts:

Qualifications

To qualify for drug court participation, defendants

• Can’t have any violent charges in past or current cases.  Violent charges include, but are not limited to, Protective Order violations, No-Contact Order violations, assaults and robberies (including residential burglaries),
• Can’t have committed any parole violations,
• Can’t owe more than $2,500 in total restitution,
• Must have an addiction to a felony drug such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, or prescription pain medications (marijuana doesn’t qualify).

Requirements

Those who participate in drug court must

• Plead guilty to all charges (for which they are given a Plea in Abeyance or they plead as conditions of probation),
• Participate in drug classes and group therapy,
• Receive acupuncture treatments,
• Submit to random urinalysis,
• Appear before a Judge weekly to discuss a participant’s progress through the program.

Failure to meet any of those requirements can result in sanctions ranging from peer review and community service to jail time.  Additionally, participants can be “kicked-out” of the program for a variety of serious violations, such as being charged with new crimes while in the program.

Signing Up

The DA’s Office screens drug cases to see whether or not they meet the requirements necessary for entry into drug court.  Those who wish to participate in Drug Court should have their attorneys contact the DA’s Office at (801) 363-7900 for case screening.