If you’re facing drug charges in California, one option that you may have is to use the drug court program. Typically, California utilizes post-adjudication drug court models. In other words, a person has to go to a hearing and enter a guilty plea. After this, they can be put into the drug court program, and if they successfully complete it, then their charges may be dropped or reduced.
There are other programs that are similar, such as diversion programs that happen before a plea is entered. In these situations, a person does not have to plead guilty at all but can simply be entered into the program to avoid other legal ramifications.
What are the benefits?
For those who are facing serious charges, the benefits can be significant. They may avoid a criminal record and a serious conviction. For instance, someone could have their drug charges reduced from the felony level down to simple possession because they went through the drug court program.
From the perspective of the court system itself, this is often more effective than going through a criminal trial. The reason for this is that drug courts are aimed at providing treatment options to those who are committing nonviolent drug crimes due to an ongoing addiction. Typical punishments like incarceration do not address addiction, which is why many people re-offend after getting out. The drug court program has been effective in lowering these reoffending rates.
Not everyone is eligible for the drug court in California, but it helps to show why it’s so important to know about all of the legal options you have when facing serious charges.
