MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Court of Common Pleas has received its final Supreme Court certification for its version of a drug court, according to Judge Richard D. Wetzel.
The court earned the certification from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets for a drug court and designated it the ARMOR (Alternative Rehabilitation Making Offenders Responsible) Court.
ARMOR is the acronym that was selected by the Common Pleas Court and it stands for Alternative Rehabilitation Making Offenders Responsible. With its final certification, it now becomes the third drug court for Knox County citizens, after the Juvenile Court and Mount Vernon Municipal Court. The municipal court’s version is called Mandated Education and Referral Into Treatment (MERIT) with Judge John Thatcher.
In order to receive the certification, the Knox County Common Pleas Court had to submit an extensive application, undergo a site visit by the Supreme Court and provide specific program materials in response to Supreme Court certification standards that govern all specialized docket courts in Ohio.
In a statement, Wetzel gave special thanks to the Court’s Chief Probation Officer, Lisa Lyons, for her work in preparing the documentation and to probation officer Michael Rardon for his role in being the ARMOR court supervising officer.
The judge also thanked the many agencies and service providers in Knox County who provide addiction support services to the courts, especially through the Adult Court Services location at the Alpha and Omega House.
“Without the immense support of all of our county agencies and care providers and the support of our county commissioners, this would not be possible,” Wetzel said.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor congratulated the Knox County Common Pleas Court and Wetzel for receiving final certification.
“Specialized dockets divert offenders toward criminal justice initiatives that employ tools and tailored services to treat and rehabilitate the offender so they can become productive members of society,” O’Connor said. “Studies have shown this approach works by reducing recidivism while saving tax dollars.”
The court’s certification requirements include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket and assembling a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, court personnel and the specialized docket judge.
