JUDGE WANTS TO TRY DRUG COURT PROGRAM IN CHESAPEAKE

CHESAPEAKE -- Circuit Judge S. Bernard Goodwyn figures that about 70
percent of the cases he hears are somehow related to illegal drugs. After
nearly 10 years on the bench, the judge also knows that some of the people
coming before him would be law-abiding citizens if they weren't drug
addicts. To help them, Chesapeake plans to open its first drug court in
July. The city got the green light this week from a state steering
committee and hopes the General Assembly will approve its drug court this
session. Similar courts operate in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk.

Goodwyn and Commonwealth's Attorney W. Randall "Randy" Smith presented the
drug court idea to the City Council on Tuesday.

"This is going to be the last stop before they go on that bus to, you know,
the big house down the road," said Goodwyn, who would run the court. It
would start small, serving five adults, Goodwyn and Smith said. The seed
money, about $5,000, would come from the commonwealth's attorney's office,
but the court leaders said they would apply for state and federal grants
almost immediately and may ask the city for money in the future.

City Council members supported the idea and asked questions about how the
court would work.

Participants would be given the choice of attending drug court for 12 to 18
months or spending time in jail, Smith said.

The idea is to "come up with a plan specific to that particular person,"
Goodwyn said.

Offenders would report to court at least once a week, he said, and receive
intensive supervision.

The program would not replace existing drug treatment services in Chesapeake.

"We think of this as another tool in our box," Goodwyn said. Ultimately,
the program could serve about 75 people, Smith said, but that would require
additional funding.