Eighth Of Ongoing Series

THE GOLDEN BOY AND OTHER DRUG COURT STORIES

Samantha Offers 'Proof' At 4 PM That She Attended AA Meeting Held At 5:30 PM

Note: The following article is the eighth in a series regarding the
creation of the Fifth Judicial District Drug Court Program recently
implemented in Pahrump. Because drug court is designed to treat addiction
rather than prosecute users as is done in criminal courts, the identities
of participants will be altered for purposes of confidentiality; their
photographs will not be printed.

Vicki and Samantha went directly to jail. John had his best week since he
entered the program two months ago. Greg has undergone a favorable change
in attitude, and Fred continued to be the golden boy of drug court on
Monday afternoon when the creative program held its eighth session.

The ever expanding docket, designed to help people quit methamphetamine and
rebuild their lives, not to mention avoid a felony conviction if they
graduate, took on two new members when Paul and Dennis were accepted as
participants. John was the first addict taken into the program and since
that day on April 22 eight more have joined. And while the commitment to
get clean from Paul and Dennis is an unknown at this early juncture, the
addicts already in the program, for the most part, have proven to be a
handful for the drug court team. Others, however, have exhibited an earnest
desire to quit using the crude street drug.

Last week Samantha and Vicki tested positive for meth, as did John. John
readily admitted his use, Samantha eventually told the truth, sort of, and
Vicki denied all of it.

Fifth District Judge Robert Lane handed down sanctions, and proving true to
his word, those punishments varied from a week in jail to additional
meeting attendance - depending on the participant's candor with the court.

Lane has repeatedly advised defendants that lying to the court would be
treated more seriously than having a relapse. As a result, John, for the
first time ever, was actually congratulated for his performance - even
though he tested dirty once and failed to make a counseling session. Vicki
and Samantha would not fare as well.

Vicki suffered her first setback since coming into the program, and
appeared surprised to hear she had a dirty test. According to Lane, one of
the two random tests Vicki - and all other participants - must submit to
each week showed evidence of meth and opiates.

When advised of this news, Vicki took a series of deep breaths before
telling Lane she hadn't used any drugs, or been around anyone using drugs.
"I have no idea how it got in my system," she said. Lane ordered her to sit
in the jury box, where defendants sit when facing sanctions.

Samantha appeared as nervous as Vicki did when it was her turn to take the
podium; she fidgeted and repeatedly stuck her hands in the pockets of her
shorts, a wardrobe no-no for court. Nonetheless, Samantha told Lane she had
a good week. She lied, and not very convincingly at that.

Samantha gave the judge signed statements that she attended the three
mandated Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous meetings for the week, and said
she's "starting to like them more when people talk about their lives."

The only problem was that one of the signers of her AA slip dated it for
5:30 p.m. June 10 - meaning she attended a meeting that would not occur for
another 90 minutes. Deputy District Attorney and drug court team member
Pete Knight advised Lane there are no 12-step meetings scheduled for that
timeframe even if the wrong date listed on the slip was an honest mistake.
Lane let Samantha off the hook for the time being and shifted gears.

In response to a question regarding her drug tests, Samantha perked up and
told the judge, "They went well. I was very proud of myself."

When advised by Lane she tested positive for meth, Samantha appeared
perplexed. When asked if she used, Samantha paused, scratched her head and
said, "Let me think. I was happy to get a job and a new place to live, so
yeah, I did a line Thursday."

Samantha joined Vicki in the jury box until the judge would decide
potential sanctions. "I appreciate your honesty with the court," Lane said
regarding her reluctant admission of using. "But your AA meetings reeks of
dishonesty."

John has spent nearly half of the two months he's been in drug court in
jail due to sanctions. He failed to meet most every condition, and has
tried to fool the court on a number of occasions. But John offered the drug
court team his most honest self-appraisal since he became the first person
picked to participate.

For the first time, John attended three 12-step meetings, made one
counseling session, came close to making another, and tested clean on one
test and tested dirty on the other. John didn't try to shake and bake the
judge; instead, he offered a raw-boned explanation for his relapse.

"I let my addiction tell me I can hang around people who do it. I slip," he
said.

"What kind of friends do you have?" Lane asked.

"Addicts, Judge," Knight said. "This is about changing playgrounds and
changing playmates."

John said a buddy offered him free meth and he "hit the pipe."

"We have different opinions of what friends are," said Lane.

"I'm ready to stay clean," John replied. "I have a fulltime job and am
living with my mom. She's really clean."

"I can't say I'm proud of you because you tested dirty," Lane said, but
because John has shown his first real effort, Lane did not send him to
jail. The judge did, however, order him to attend six 12-step meetings next
week, rather than the usual three.

As an aside, Lane said he couldn't understand how someone could use meth
when they know the price to be paid is a prison term. "I don't know what to
make of it," said the judge.

After spending seven nights in jail, Greg came to drug court with a renewed
enthusiasm. Sentenced to spend half-days in jail last week by Beatty
Justice of the Peace Bill Sullivan for testing positive for marijuana, Greg
said he has found an AA sponsor he respects and a group he enjoys.
Initially disappointed and even contemptuous of AA, Greg said his sponsor
doesn't accept excuses for relapses. "He shoots from the hip ... he said
people use because they want to use."

On the downside, Greg continues to test positive for marijuana six weeks
after he entered the program. In theory, the drug should be out of a user's
system within a month, but the actual range, said Lane, was between one and
three months. In response to a question from Lane, Greg said he would be
willing to pay for an independent lab analysis of his urine to determine if
the concentration of THC in his system is decreasing. "I'd be happy to
oblige," Greg said.

"You're one of my three stars," said Lane.

If Greg is one of three stars, then Fred is the brightest sun in drug
court's tiny galaxy. Fred has met every condition of drug court since the
beginning. He continues to test clean, and said he even turned down a
friend's offer of free meth. "It was hard, but I did it," he said.

Public Defender and drug court team member Harry Gensler singled out Fred
for his exemplary performance. "(Fred) gave (Joe) a ride last week. This
week he gave (John) help." Fred was treated to a round of applause. Lane
hopes these first drug court participants succeed and come back to help
other addicts learn the ropes. A juvenile drug court is in the planning
stage, he said, and he implored Fred and the others to think about how they
might help a youngster beat meth addiction once they succeed in their own
battles to escape its grip.

Paul and Dennis, both former graduates of prison boot camp who had apparent
relapses into drug abuse, were accepted into the program. While boot camp
might not have helped the men beat their respective addictions, the newest
members exhibited a military bearing and addressed Lane as a Marine would
his commanding officer.

Joe is the third of Lane's stars, and he was excused from drug court on
Monday so he could clean up a few traffic tickets in Las Vegas. That left
only Cathy, Greg's pregnant fiancee and the only volunteer participant in
the program.

After missing the last two sessions, the apparent mood of the drug court
team was to kick her out. But Cathy said she wanted to stay, and was
willing to meet the conditions. Ordered by Lane to work with babies born
addicted to drugs three weeks ago for testing dirty, Cathy said she learned
the court would have to write a letter to the hospital before she could
comply with the sanction.

Cathy was allowed to stay, and if she wants to remain in drug court she'll
have to meet criteria only slightly less regimented than what her
counterparts must comply with.

At the conclusion of drug court, Vicki was given another chance to discuss
her dirty test. She stuck with her denial and was given a week in jail.
Samantha had already admitted she used, and ultimately admitted her AA
vouchers were forged. "The guy who signed it is an idiot," she said,
apparently unwilling to take personal responsibility for her actions.

In light of her reluctant honesty, Samantha will spend her nights in jail,
but will be released each morning for work. Lane has proven to appreciate
the truth, even when he has to coax it out of someone.

In the Bible it is written in John 8:32, "Ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make ye free." In drug court, it has become obvious the truth
might not only keep one free, but save his or her life, as well. Time will
tell who in drug court has the courage to face the truth. A good hard look
in a mirror could get the ball rolling in that direction - and not the kind
of mirror used to chop lines.