Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jan 2006
Source: Tri-Valley Herald  (Pleasanton, CA)
Copyright: 2006sANG Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/742
Author: Ricci Graham, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

PIONEER IN DRUG TREATMENT ENDS GROUND-BREAKING JUDICIAL CAREER

Alameda County Judge Known For Helping Addicts

HAYWARD -- Alameda County Superior Court Judge Peggy  Fulton Hora 
presided over her final trial Friday, then  hung up her black robe 
for good and walked away from  the Hayward Hall of Justice, leaving 
behind a judicial  legacy of compassion as a founder of the nations 
first drug court.

Hora, whose retirement becomes official Feb. 28, said  she figured 
theres no better time than now to move on  so she can shift her focus 
to teaching, traveling,  writing and her seven grandchildren.

The founder of the drug treatment court movement, Hora,  59, will be 
replaced by Judge Jo-Lynne Lee until Gov.  Arnold Schwarzenegger 
appoints her successor.

When you have 20 years of service, thats when a person  knows, Hora, 
a Castro Valley resident, said of her  decision to retire. Its more 
of a why not?'"

Hora, whose 21-year anniversary as a judge will fall on  Saturday, is 
considered a judicial pioneer as the  founder of drug treatment court 
at the Hayward Hall of  Justice.

Since the establishment of the drug treatment court in  1998, Hora 
has been its guiding and stabilizing force.

Throughout the years, instead of handing down harsh sentences  for 
substance abusers, Hora doled out compassion and  oversaw the 
treatment of the many addicts who stepped  into her courtroom.

Its kind of an institution that shes leaving us, said  Alameda County 
District Attorney Tom Orloff. The major  component of any drug court 
is the judge and the  success of the drug court is largely 
attributable to  the judges knowledge of the addiction issue and the 
personality of the judge.

In both categories, she was just ideally suited. She  really cares 
about the people and she understands  addiction and what people have 
to wrestle with. She  became a national expert in that. I dont think 
anybody  can quite do it like she does.

Hora, who also helped establish the drug treatment  court in Oakland, 
said it reintroduces the concept of  rehabilitation to a court system 
that, over the years,  focused more on handing down jail sentences.

What Ive done through the drug treatment court is show  that 
treatment is effective and people can recover,  Hora said. The court 
can be useful in helping people  change their lives by getting them 
drug treatment.  Certainly in drug treatment court, I view them 
as  people, as opposed to offenders.

Hora is highly respected by her peers, all of whom said  the court 
system is a better place because of her  contributions and the impact 
the drug treatment court  has made over the years.

She obviously was a trailblazer, said Superior Court  Judge Roy 
Hashimoto. Drugs are such a huge problem in  our society.

Said James McWilliams, an attorney with the Alameda  County Public 
Defenders Office: In very few places of  the court system do we have 
the opportunity to changes  peoples lives. Its hard. (Hora) brought 
the humanity to  change peoples lives.

Hora had an historic impact on another level.

In 1984, she became the first woman elected a judge on  what was then 
known as the San Leandro-Hayward  Municipal Court -- an 
accomplishment she was clearly  proud of as she reflected on her 21 
years on the bench.

Hora, who worked as the managing attorney for the  Hayward branch of 
the Alameda County Legal Aid Society  before being elected, said she 
decided to run for the  judgeship because, I thought I could be the 
kind of  judge that I wanted to appear in front of.

Over the years, she has lectured nationally and  internationally and 
has written extensively about such  issues as substance abuse, 
domestic violence, drug  treatment court, cultural competence and 
therapeutic  jurisprudence -- work that has been cited by 
dozens  upon dozens of legal journals.

She recently joined a National Drug Court Institute  committee to 
help develop a drug court handbook that  can be used as a reference 
tool for judges throughout  the country, and taught for 17 years at 
the B.E. Witkin  Judicial College of California, where she served 
as  dean from 1997-99. Hora also has been a member of the  National 
Judicial College for 12 years.

As such, Hora received the 2004 Bernard S. Jefferson  Judicial Award, 
which recognizes the judge who has made  the most exceptional 
contribution to the field of  judicial education the previous year.

Shes educated at least 75 percent of the judges in the  state, 
Hashimoto said. Shes a unique individual. I  think it will be very 
difficult to replace her.
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