Contact:  Ed “Flash” Ferenc, Public Information Officer
              Cleveland Municipal Court   
              216-664-6787 / ferenc@cmcoh.org

(Columbus, Ohio)  -- The Greater Cleveland Drug Court and the Veterans Treatment Docket have earned final certification from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets.

In order to receive the certification, the local court had to submit an application, undergo a site visit, and provide specific program materials in response to certification standards that went in to effect in January 2014.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor congratulated Judge Anita Laster Mays for her work on the Greater Cleveland Drug Court and Judge Charles Patton, who oversees the Veterans Treatment Docket.

Judge Anita Laster Mays and Judge Charles Patton

“Specialized dockets have proven effective at addressing persistent criminal behaviors,” said Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. “Specialized dockets result in significantly lower recidivism rates which means offenders become productive members of society, for which we all benefit.”

Specialized dockets are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. There are more than 150 specialized dockets in Ohio courts that deal with issues such as:

Drugs and Alcohol
Mental Health
Domestic Violence
Sex Offenses

The new standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio, and allow local courts to innovate and tailor to meet their community’s needs and resources.

“To me, certification just substantiates the great work of our Drug Court Team.  It’s all about giving people their lives back and everyone in the community benefits from that,” said Judge Mays.

“The Cleveland Municipal Court has made major strides in providing veterans with the services they need.  The cooperation between the Veterans Administration, The VA Hospital and the Court has been very beneficial to those on the docket and I’m very pleased the Supreme Court of Ohio has recognized this,” said Judge Patton.

“Recommended practices outlined in the certification process include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket, and assembling a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, court personnel, and is headed by the specialized docket judge.

The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members who advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the promotion of statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts; the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts; and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.