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Drug court: going strong

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Taylor Winkel

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Taylor Winkel Jul 2, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Drug court: going strong</h1>
                <h2><p>There are 23 counties in Washington that offer Drug Court to nonviolent, substance abusing residents and recently King County Drug Court, which has been looked at as a national model of compassionate government, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Aside from reducing drug abuse and drug related crimes, drug court is considered</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/taylorjwinkel-gmail-com/">Taylor Winkel</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>There are 23 counties in Washington that offer <a href="http://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/?fa=court_dir.psc&tab=2&ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">Drug Court</a> to nonviolent, substance abusing residents and recently King County Drug Court, which has been looked at as a <a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/DrugCourt/20thCelebration.aspx?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">national model</a> of compassionate government, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Aside from reducing drug abuse and drug related crimes, drug court is considered important because participants who complete the program can earn a dismissal of their criminal charges, fines and incarceration. This allows them to start fresh with rebuilding their lives with their family, employer, and community. <a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/12/18/3547537/supreme-court-says-closed-drug.html?sp=%2F99%2F289%2F&ihp=1&ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">The News Tribune</a> reports that a recent Washington Supreme Court ruling clears the way for maintaining some limited secrecy in the courts' operations. Traditionally, some staff meetings bring together the judge, lawyers and treatment specialists privately before court convenes in public. The Supreme Court said that drug courts are different than traditional courts, so they aren’t subject to the open courts law. The Supreme Court said each county can decide if they want to keep some staff hearings private. — T.W.</p>
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There are 23 counties in Washington that offer Drug Court to nonviolent, substance abusing residents and recently King County Drug Court, which has been looked at as a national model of compassionate government, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Aside from reducing drug abuse and drug related crimes, drug court is considered important because participants who complete the program can earn a dismissal of their criminal charges, fines and incarceration. This allows them to start fresh with rebuilding their lives with their family, employer, and community. The News Tribune reports that a recent Washington Supreme Court ruling clears the way for maintaining some limited secrecy in the courts' operations. Traditionally, some staff meetings bring together the judge, lawyers and treatment specialists privately before court convenes in public. The Supreme Court said that drug courts are different than traditional courts, so they aren’t subject to the open courts law. The Supreme Court said each county can decide if they want to keep some staff hearings private. — T.W.

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Taylor Winkel

By Taylor Winkel

Taylor Winkel is a Journalism and Political Science student at the University of Washington. Follow her on Twitter: @twinkelnews. She can be emailed at Taylor.Winkel@crosscut.com.

Taylor Winkel is a Journalism and Political Science student at the University of Washington. Follow her on Twitter: @twinkelnews. She can be emailed at Taylor.Winkel@crosscut.com.