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Court Information Office
Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building
361 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis, Maryland
410-260-1488
 
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Sally Rankin  410-260-1488

Graduates of Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court Honored

(Baltimore, MD – March 1, 2005)  The Circuit Court of Maryland for Baltimore City will host a ceremony for 42 graduates of the Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court on Friday, March 4, at 9 a.m. Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell will address the graduates, who recently completed the drug treatment program and are now drug-free.

Since the Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court was established in 1994, 17 additional drug treatment courts have opened in Maryland and nearly 20 more in the planning stages.

“Baltimore City’s was the first drug court in the state, and it has been the cornerstone in the drug court movement,” said Gray Barton, executive director of the Drug Treatment Court Commission. Over the past 11 years, the Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court has graduated more than 1,400 defendants.

Baltimore City’s program provides intensive treatment, supervision, and comprehensive judicial monitoring to habitual offenders whose crimes are addiction-driven. The program is a collaboration among the Maryland Judiciary, the Division of Parole and Probation, the State’ Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Public Defender, the Baltimore City Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, and substance abuse treatment providers.

Drug treatment courts incorporate varying levels of treatment as well as vocational, educational, and life skills training and other services to address issues that contribute to drug abuse and criminal behavior.

The Circuit Court for Baltimore City is located in Courthouse East, 111 N. Calvert St. The graduation will be held in Room 556. Media are invited to attend. Contact the Court Information Office at 410/260-1488 if you want to bring a camera or for more information.

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