FELONY DRUG COURT TO BEGIN

Sessions Will Be Held in the Canandaigua City Hall

CANANDAIGUA - The Ontario County Felony Drug Treatment Court has
received final approval from the state to begin taking cases, and
will hold its first session on Friday, June 7.

The court will be held at City Hall, immediately following Finger
Lakes Drug Court, which is held Friday mornings and handles
misdemeanor cases.

The location was chosen to allow team members from both drug courts
to make more efficient use of their time, according to County Court
Judge Craig J. Doran. Many of the people - including police officers,
substance abuse treatment professionals and defense attorneys - serve
on both teams.

Doran said he's told that this will be the first County Court session
held outside the courthouse in decades. He said two people have
already been referred to the felony-level court.

Earlier this month, county supervisors struggling with a budget
crisis questioned whether they should support the drug court or not,
but Doran said it is a state-run operation and does not need the
county's approval. Team members had asked for a county resolution
supporting the court just as a courtesy, he said.

Drug courts are designed to get people charged with non-violent
crimes off drugs and keep them from further arrests and further
incarceration. Working on one's education and holding down a job are
among the requirements participants must agree to.