The mission of the Baton Rouge City Sobriety Court is to increase public safety by reducing the number of repeat impaired driving offenders.

The Court will create an environment that fosters accountability with long-term positive and productive behavior in participants. This will be accomplished by educating not only the offender but the Community about the effects of impaired driving and addiction.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The entire team and staff of the Baton Rouge City Sobriety Court Program are dedicated to changing the behavior of repeat DWI offenders who have been arrested two or more times for the offense of DWI and other DWI offenders desiring to make a life change. The history of DWI courts have proven to be a highly successful method of dealing with repeat DWI offenders within a community, reducing the number of repeat offenders, and reducing impaired driving accidents and fatalities.

Baton Rouge City Sobriety Court is modeled after the highly successful Drug Court concept with graduated sanctions and rewards system and adheres to “The Ten Guiding Principles of DWI Courts," adopted by the National Drug Court Institute. Statistics show that the rate of recidivism after completing a Sobriety Court program is greatly reduced due to the high level of accountability while participating in the program. Participants are 20 percent less likely to re-offend. An initial requirement for acceptance is that an offender must enter a guilty plea in his or her DWI case. At that time, they are placed on probation for a minimum of one year and required to comply with all terms, conditions and requirements of the Sobriety Court Program. Participants must also comply with the minimum statutory requirements of City of Baton Rouge Code of Ordinances Section 11:140.

STAFFING AND PARTICIPANT'S PROGRESS

Each participant’s progress will be reported to the entire Sobriety Court team through weekly team staffing meetings held prior to the status conference court proceeding. Detailed status reports are prepared and copied for the Judge and all team members to review as a part of the staffing process. A review of their treatment and overall program status will be discussed, along with any program violations and recommendations. The judge approves all rewards and sanctioning.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

Participants are required to satisfy a portion of costs associated with the program, including an initial $100.00 application/assessment fee and $160.00 monthly compliance fee, which covers drug screening and phase fees. If a participant completes the program without any sanctions, the court fine will be waived and the individual may be eligible for dismissal on their driving records in accordance with LA. R.S. 894.1. This program of rewards and sanctions has therapeutic benefits, allowing participants to be empowered having a sense of ownership through their steps of sobriety and recovery.

Sobriety Court Application Process

1. Referral made directly to the Judge or Sobriety Court Staff.
2. Candidate’s application filed with Sobriety Court Staff.
3. Candidate interviews with and is assessed by Sobriety Court Counselor and Compliance Manager.
4. Candidate’s application is reviewed by full Team Staffing (includes Judge, Police Department, Coordinator, Probation, Treatment).
5. Candidate’s application is approved or rejected.
   
   

Team Members

Kelli Terrell Temple, Judge
Brandi Lawrence, Prosecutor
James Murray, Defense Counselor
Officer Steven Reed, Law Enforcement
Richard Bromfield, Coordinator
Amanda Bulone, Probation Officer
Ivory Wilson, Substance Abuse Counselor
Eugene Waddis, Substance Abuse Counselor
Treniece Landy, Substance Abuse Counselor
Elzie Alford, Jr., Clerk of Court/Judicial Administrator

FUNDING PROVIDED BY A GRANT TO 

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