Greater Cleveland Drug Court Stages Graduation Ceremony in Rocky River

Feb 21, 2018

(Cleveland) – The 57th Graduation Ceremony of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court, under the direction of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lauren C. Moore, will take place Wednesday, February 21, at 4:30 p.m. at The Don Umerley Civic Center Memorial Hall (Room 150) located at 21016 Hilliard Blvd. in Rocky River. Ohio.

Contact: Ed Ferenc, Public Information Officer
Cleveland Municipal Court
216 664 6787 / 216 789 2597
[email protected]     www.cmcoh.org

(Cleveland) – The 57th Graduation Ceremony of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court, under the direction of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lauren C. Moore, will take place Wednesday, February 21, at 4:30 p.m. at The Don Umerley Civic Center Memorial Hall (Room 150) located at 21016 Hilliard Blvd. in Rocky River. Ohio.

“We’ve been getting a lot of referrals from Rocky River so it just makes sense to stage a graduation there so other participants in the program can celebrate their sobriety,” said Judge Moore.

A number of suburban courts have been referring cases to Cleveland’s program, thanks to federal grant money that made it possible several years ago.   In addition to Rocky River, Euclid, South Euclid, Garfield Heights, East Cleveland and Shaker Heights have participated in the program.

A total of 35 people are expected to graduate, which brings the total number of people who have successfully completed the program to 1,680 since it began 20 years ago.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Susan Laschinger, a local mom turned activist as a result of her son’s addiction.

“Addiction is a family disease and that’s the point I want to drive home,” she said.

Participants in the Greater Cleveland 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.

Specialized dockets like the Greater Cleveland 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, however, and has since expanded to other parts of Cuyahoga County.