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Drug Courts in Minnesota

Posted by Josh Johnson on Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Drug courts are a specialized part of the Minnesota court system that serve more than 30 counties throughout the state. Drug courts are a potential alternative to long-term prison sentences for individuals facing felony drug charges, and aim to address the underlying issues of drug crimes, such as substance abuse. These multi-phase programs have strict standards and are intended to actually treat an individual’s substance abuse problem extensively enough so that they do not find themselves in handcuffs again. Drug courts have a high success rate, as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) reports that an estimated 75 percent of drug court graduates are not arrested again.

Though drug courts are preferable to prison, you should not mistake this program as an “easy way out.” On the contrary, drug court is an intensive and rigorous process that has very strict requirements for many months before a participant is able to “graduate.” Drug courts depend on heavy supervision and involvement from many parties, including the following:

  • Judge;

  • Private defense attorney or public defender;

  • Prosecutor;

  • Drug court coordinator;

  • Chemical dependency professionals;

  • Law enforcement officers; and

  • Probation or case managers.

Drug court participants will have to regularly report to meetings, court hearings, and more. While these meetings and hearings are non-adversarial, there is an extreme emphasis on strict adherence and accountability. Drug court participants must undergo random drug testing and may only advance to the next phase of drug court if they test clean and comply with all court requirements.

Who is eligible for drug court?

It’s important to keep in mind that not all Minnesota counties offer drug court, and that each county’s drug court has its own specific requirements. In general, in order to be eligible for drug court in Minnesota, an individual must be found to have the following:

  • Dependency diagnosis in line with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD); and

  • Moderate or severe substance use disorder as set out by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

It is important to have an attorney handling your case who will look into drug court alternatives and will advocate for your acceptance into the Minnesota drug court program if it is appropriate in your case.

An experienced criminal defense attorney can assist you in ascertaining whether you are eligible for drug court or any other programs in the county in which you must appear for court

If you have been arrested on suspicion of a drug offense, you should not delay in contacting an attorney who understands drug crimes in Minnesota. As an experienced criminal defense lawyer in St. Paul and Minneapolis, I can help you with any type of criminal case and will explore all of your possible options if you are facing charges.