Fifth Of Ongoing Series

JOHN GOES DIRECTLY TO JAIL

First Drug Court Participant Continues Struggle With Addiction

Note: The following article is the fifth in a series regarding the creation
of the Fifth Judicial District Drug Court Program recently implemented in
Pahrump. Because drug court is designed to treat addiction rather than
punish users as is done in the criminal courts, the identities of
participants will be altered for purposes of confidentiality; their
photographs will not be printed.

The number of drug court participants is growing, and the demographics of
its membership already crosses gender, race, age, and financial status. The
one commonality linking each defendant, however, is a methamphetamine habit
and a purported desire to quit the destructive street drug.

The first resident who was accepted into the Fifth Judicial Drug Court
Program continues to struggle with his addiction to methamphetamine. He has
failed to appear in court, he has failed to meet any of the mandatory
conditions placed on him, and his urine continues to test dirty for the
potent street drug - even when he connives to offer a sample to his
probation officer that was poured from a condom.

Still, John remains in the innovative program, though he'll spend two weeks
in jail for failing to appear last week - the second such sanction in less
than a month - and for trying to trick Parole and Probation Officer Robert
Raymond with a bogus urine drop.

John did not meet any conditions of drug court his first week in the
program - all participants must attend three counseling sessions, must
attend three meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar program. They
must meet in person with their probation officer each morning by 8 a.m.,
and they must submit to two random urine tests per week, and appear before
the judge each Monday at 4 p.m. for a status check. (Court will be held
Tuesday next week due to the Memorial Day holiday.)

Fifth District Judge Robert Lane asked John if he would rather leave drug
court and be sent to prison if the man thinks the strict regimen is too
difficult to follow.

"No," replied John, a 30-year-old unemployed truck driver. "I needed to see
if I could get around (the conditions). I couldn't and now I'm ready to go
to jail for awhile and start over." "This is incredulous," Lane said. "For
you to lie or misrepresent facts to this court is unacceptable."

It is also incredulous to believe John truly wants to quit using, given his
absolute lack of effort and attempts to deceive the authorities who are
there to help him, but Lane and the drug court team is well aware of the
insidious nature of drug addiction.

With that in mind, the judge made a statement that should leave little
doubt regarding the goal of drug court. "I will probably punish liars and
cheaters more harshly than people who test dirty.

"I guess I haven't gotten through to you," Lane said to John. "We could
send you to prison but we don't want to do that. We want you to get clean
so you can have a good life ... but I've only got so much patience."

"Thank you for letting me stay in the program," John said, before a bailiff
handcuffed him and turned him over to detention officers.

Greg, the second person accepted into the program, last week tested dirty
and was ordered to perform 12 hours of community service. He fulfilled the
judge's edict, as well as the other conditions placed on him, but his
fiancee Cathy, the program's lone volunteer, was not as successful.

Cathy tested positive, and Lane made no secret of his disgust with women
who use while pregnant. "You're starting to show a little bit," said the
judge. Lane told the woman he appreciated her volunteer participation in
drug court, "but I'm thinking about letting you out because of the dirty test.

"Did you get high from the same stash (Greg) had last week?"

"Yes," responded Cathy.

"We want to help you," said the judge, but he made it clear the court's
main concern was not for her, bur for her unborn child. "You can start over
next week, but that baby can't make any decisions."

As a sanction for using, Lane ordered Cathy to spend four hours this week
working with babies born in Las Vegas-area hospitals - babies born addicted
to crack cocaine or meth. In addition, the judge ordered the attractive
20-something woman to write an essay to the court detailing her work with
drug-addicted babies, as well as her own addiction.

The fourth person to be accepted into drug court was Fred, who first
entered May 10. Fred is an early success story. He met each and every
condition placed on him, and that meant Lane didn't have to plead with the
man to get his act together.

Instead, the judge offered encouragement: "One week down, the rest of your
life to go."

Drug court participant number five is Samantha, a young mother of four
children who are either in the care of the state or with relatives in
California.

After explaining the tough protocol that must be met in order to succeed in
drug court, Samantha said she could comply for four little reasons: "I want
my children."

Just how badly she wants those kids only time will tell. Samantha told the
judge she used a variety of drugs, but only used meth when she wanted to
clean her house. When police raided a drug lab in operation at her home,
Samantha told police she thought the corrosives and solvents and other
ingredients used in meth manufacture "was to bake cookies."

Out of denial, for the moment, Samantha conceded she knew what was really
happening. Lane accepted Samantha into drug court, but warned her to stay
off of drugs. "Right on," responded the woman. "I want my babies."

Vicki was also accepted into drug court, but a physical condition might
present problems down the road. Participants are not allowed to use any
narcotics - even those prescribed by a physician - and Vicki uses Loritab
for pain.

According to her attorney, Vicki has undergone extensive spinal
reconstruction and is in constant pain. The woman's doctor has supplied her
with a painkiller patch that should dispense a level of the drug that would
not register in a urinalysis.

Vicki, like her peers in drug court, said she wanted to get clean.

For Greg, the few counseling sessions have begun to pay off, though he
admitted to becoming a bit tired of the "cliches" one hears in meetings.
"The best I've heard so far is suit up, show up, and the rest is in God's
hands."

Lane said he appreciated Greg's frustrations, and as a churchgoer for the
past 25 years he's experienced similar disillusionment. "I've heard some of
those things a thousand times, but those cliches will become your life."

Joe is a new member of drug court and if not for the grace of Pastor Stan
Goldsby he might not have been accepted into the program. Jailed for the
past several weeks on theft charges related to his addiction to meth, Joe
is a homeless 21-year-old with no family or positive ties to Pahrump.

That's where Goldsby came in, and the pastor left little doubt he doesn't
have the time to deal with people who aren't willing to help themselves.
Joe will be allowed to stay with Goldsby, who works with homeless people.

Speaking directly to the defendant, Goldsby made it clear Joe will have to
carry his own weight. "It starts with you," the pastor said. "I demand
respect and you can't live there for nothing."

Goldsby was shot last year after picking up a hitchhiker in Las Vegas. He
said he nearly died and the experience was enough to make him quit helping
those less fortunate. His opinion changed, he said, when he realized God
wanted him to assist the downtrodden.

And Joe won't be able to manipulate the pastor either. He said he and his
family spent time "living on the streets" several years ago. "I know what
it's like," Goldsby said.

Lane told Joe he was "at a fork in the road" and encouraged him to choose
the correct path. For Joe, John, Vicki, Samantha, Greg, Cathy, and Fred -
and many others who will follow them into drug court - that is a choice
they will have to make each day of their lives for at least the next 12 months.