DUNKIRK SETS DRUG COURT MEETING

DUNKIRK - A public meeting to launch the Dunkirk City Drug Court program
will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the courtroom in City Hall.

City Judge Walter Drag and Drug Court Coordinator Cathy Newton will outline
how the court works. Invited guests include Chautauqua County District
Attorney James Subjack; Public Defender William Coughlin; Michael Ricketts,
director of probation; Patricia Brinkman, mental health director; Sheriff
Joseph Gerace; and Dunkirk Police Chief John Yannie.

The goal of the Drug Court program is to transform a defendant into a
productive, working, law-abiding member of the community who supports his
or her dependents and leads a drug-free life.

To do this, the court tries to address defendants' problems instead of
imposing a fine or jail sentence. The defendant is held accountable for his
or her actions and is given weekly supervision and access to resources and
counseling to break the cycle of repeat criminal offenses.

To be eligible, a defendant must be nonviolent, charged with a misdemeanor
or felony, dependent on drugs or alcohol, 16 years of age or older and a
Chautauqua County resident. The district attorney must give final approval
for a defendant to enter the program. The Drug Court expects to begin
assessments today, with the first session tentatively scheduled for Aug. 22.

The state Office of Court Administration has installed new computers using
the state's universal drug treatment application. The state also has given
the court start-up funds, according to Judge Drag.