Contact:  Ed Ferenc, Public Information Officer                                   
Cleveland Municipal Court
216 664 6787 / 216 789 2597
ference@cmcoh.org     www.cmcoh.org

(Cleveland) – The 75th Graduation Ceremony of the Judge Larry A. Jones Drug Court, under the direction of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lauren C. Moore took place Monday, October 30, 2023 at the Rocky River Municipal Court. 

With seven graduates, the total number of people who have successfully completed the program since it began in 1998 is now 1,916.  The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Brendon Berns, one of several people instrumental in forming Project 180, a support group for those in recovery.

Berns has been drug and alcohol free since November, 2014 and it certainly was not easy getting there.  He was arrested for driving under the influence four times; assaulting a police officer in a fit of rage and then caught in public shooting crack and heroin.  After 12 trips to various rehab facilities, he finally found a path to sobriety.

Brendon is now working in human resources and is engaged in promoting Project 180 which has helped hundreds of people in the area (www.facebook.com/project180cleveland). 

Participants in the Judge Larry A. Jones Drug Court generally spend 12 to 20 months in the program. Longer cases may occur due to the fact that opiate addicts generally need more treatment time.  This year, four of the graduates entered the program with felonies, while the others were charged with lesser offenses. 

One of the graduates Melissa Wielkiewicz expressed her gratitude to the people who helped turn her life around. 

On October 26, 2022, the Greater Cleveland Drug Court was renamed the Judge Larry A. Jones Drug Court in honor of its founder and former Cleveland Municipal Court judge. Specialized dockets like the Judge Larry A. Jones Drug Court are dedicated to handling offenses related to substance abuse, and use a combination of techniques for holding the offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. 

There are more than 150 specialized dockets in Ohio. In 2014, this particular docket was certified by the Supreme Court of Ohio. The Drug Court Program began in the Cleveland Municipal Court in 1998 and has since expanded to other parts of Cuyahoga County.