DRUG COURT'S LARGEST GRADUATING CLASS EVER: 'WE DID IT!'

Emotions and tears flowed freely at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse
in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night as the 3rd District Drug Court
graduated its largest class ever.

One by one, 27 graduates -- all of whom had once pleaded guilty to
drug-related felonies -- accepted their diplomas from the
substance-abuse program and heard Judge Dennis M. Fuchs dismiss all
charges against them.

"To all those cops and all those prosecutors who said I wasn't going
to make it, all I can say is, 'Ha ha,' " said graduate Jon Jorgensen
after accepting his diploma.

The Salt Lake County Drug Court was established in 1996, modeled after
a program established by Janet Reno in Dade County, Fla. The program
offers a chance for those convicted of a drug crime to avoid prison
time by attending classes, submitting to random drug screenings and
complying with individually tailored court requirements.

"Yeah, [the program] was hard," said Allen Sanders, 22, who spent 2
1/2 years in drug court after his conviction on two counts of
methamphetamine possession. "But without it I would be dead right now."

Other graduates expressed similar sentiments.

"I would either be dead or in jail," said 28-year-old Eddie Yazzie. "I
was spiritually bankrupt and [drug court] gave me the direction and
structure that I needed."

There are currently 300 participants in the drug court program.
Organizers hope that number more than triples within the next four
years.

"One thousand active participants will have a real impact on crime in
the area," said John Hill, one of the program's founders.

"We need public awareness of how successful this program is," he said.
"We are teaching accountability."

At the end of the ceremony, pride was apparent on the faces of all 27
graduates as they yelled in unison, "We did it!"