THREE-FOURTHS OF CRIMES FOR DRUG MONEY

About three-fourths of criminal cases in the judicial system are related to
drugs, according to Marshall County Circuit Court Judge Tim Jolley.

"Conservatively, I would say 75 percent of all criminal cases are related to
drugs in some way, form or fashion. Either done while on drugs or done in
order to get money to buy drugs," Jolley said.

Crystal methamphetamine is responsible for a good part of the drug activity.

"We rarely see a marijuana case or one just involving cocaine anymore; 90-95
percent of our cases today involve methamphetamine. It's that bad," he said,
adding that the peripheral "effects of methamphetamine throughout the
criminal justice system are seen in forgeries, thefts, burglaries, assaults
and in domestic violence cases."

As presiding circuit judge Jolley is privy to statistics involving Dept. of
Human Resources Juvenile Dependency cases where there is no parent capable
of looking after the children.

"It appears," he said, "after talking with the judges, DHR workers and the
attorneys who regularly deal with these cases, there is an explosion in
these type cases where children are taken out of the home because of the
drug problem, specifically meth."

Citing statistics, he said there were a total of 920 juvenile cases filed in
Marshall County in 1994.

Of that number, only 78 were drug-related dependency cases or 8.4 percent of
cases filed that year.

In 2003 we had 1,521 juvenile cases filed. Of that number 465 were
dependency cases or 30.5 percent. So far in 2004 through June 28 there were
700 juvenile cases, 200 of which were dependency cases."

"Since 1994," Jolley said, "there has been a 65 percent increase in number
of juvenile cases filed in Marshall County."

But, said the veteran jurist, "There has been a 500 percent increase in
dependency cases since 1994."

The situation Judge Jolley said, "Is so bad, as I understand it, that we are
taking on seven more social workers, adding to the ten we already have,
giving us 17. In addition we are in creasing our investigators from seven to
ten."

On the criminal side of the issue, Jolley is one of the Albertville Division
Drug Court Judges. Jolley was appointed Chairman of the Alabama Drug Court
Coordinating Committee set up by the Alabama Supreme Court. The committee's
responsibility is to promulgate uniform rules and regulations for
implementing and running drug courts.

The crystal meth problem Jolley said, "Is not unique to Marshall
County...but I don't feel the other communities have the programs to inform
the community like we have here. The increased number of drug cases,
particularly methamphetamine, we have made in the last two years is, I
believe, a direct result of the drug enforcement being 'beefed-up' and
community awareness."

Jolley's hope was other communities would take a more proactive approach to
the methamphetamine problem as Marshall County.

When asked how he thought the problem could be resolved? Jolley replied
confidently,

"The only way people can correct this problem is to get their heart right
with god. Other wise we can fight this problem until the 'second coming' and
we will never extinguish it."

Adding to the difficulty of overcoming an addiction to crystal
methamphetamine Jolley said, "Is the fact that it requires lengthy
treatment."

Jolley firmly believes the problem can be minimized starting at home with
the parents.

He further stated it was not accomplished "just by parents paying attention
to what their children are doing, looking for signs of drug use or watching
who they are running around with."

"It is accomplished," according to the man who has presided over enumerable
cases involving family turmoil, "by parents setting the example themselves.
We have kids in the juvenile court system who's parents are in my adult
criminal court system because they set an example of using drugs in front of
those children."

In conclusion Jolley emphasized, "We can do all the reactive things like
trying to educate children in school, trying to educate the community, but
the real place, I believe, it can be reduced-and the only place it can be
reduced to a significant extant-is going to be in the home."