Drug Court numbers surprise magistrate

As seven people graduated from the Drug Rehabilitation Court last week, Magistrate Valdis Foldats admitted he was surprised by the effort and number of hours the graduates had put in.

During the information graduation ceremony on Thursday, the magistrate explained that he had decided to examine one graduate’s file, picked at random, to see how much work it took to graduate. “It knocked my socks off,” he said. As well as 25 court appearances, 24 probation meetings and 200 days of wearing an electronic monitor, the individual had to make three phone calls per week for nine months to see if he had been selected to come in for a drug test. He also had to undergo 30 tests outside of drug court, 12 tests in drug court, and 76 counselling sessions, including 63 group and 13 individual.

“Those are the numbers needed for success,” he said.

Those numbers showed the hard work one particular person had done, evidence that drug court is no easy option, he said.

“Each graduate has the same or greater numbers. Each one of you is remarkable. My admiration for you just goes off the charts,” the magistrate acknowledged.

The graduation was attended by participants in various stages of the drug court program, guests, counselors and probation officers. Also present was Chief Magistrate Nova Hall, who co-chaired the original committee to get the drug court protocols established and finally put into law in 2006.

The chief magistrate, who still takes a turn at presiding in drug court, congratulated the graduates and presented a gift of appreciation to drug court coordinator Katrina Watler.

Drug court coordinator Katrina Watler, standing, consults with some team members. Seated, from left, are