Participants scheduled for last week's 4th District Drug Court session ran the gamut of emotions. One accepted both the praise of Drug Court Judge Sharon Marchman for entering the fourth and last phase of his treatment program and congratulations for an upcoming wedding. Another participant sat crying in the corner of the courtroom. She'd "messed up" - strayed far enough from the program to be sentenced to jail time. She'll spend the next six months of her drug treatment incarcerated, participating in an in-patient program. [continues 508 words]
Two northern Louisiana lawmakers took a turn Thursday afternoon on the bench in 4th District Judge Sharon I. Marchman's courtroom. State Rep. Mike Walsworth, R-West Monroe, and Sen. Robert Barham, R-Oak Ridge, sat in on a session of 4th District Drug Court, a program that targets crimes driven by addiction to drugs or alcohol. The visit was part of a Louisiana Supreme Court program called the Judicial Ride-Along, created in 1997 to improve communication between these two branches of government. [continues 224 words]
Ouachita Parish Sheriff Richard Fewell got word Tuesday of a 42 percent cut to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. The program, run by police departments across the nation, sends officers into schools to teach children about the dangers of drug abuse. Out of a $124,000 budget last year, Fewell said, the state of Louisiana provided about $62,000 for the parish DARE program. Although a 42 percent cut - about $26,000 - is a significant hit, Fewell said, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office is not willing to eliminate the program. [continues 318 words]
29, 2002 Any criminal charge against a Monroe police officer who resigned a week ago after allegedly buying marijuana is in the hands of the 4th District Attorney's Office, police Chief Joe Stewart said Friday. The officer, who was not arrested in the incident, was not given preferential treatment, Stewart said. It was simply exercising one option over another for a misdemeanor charge. "We often forward the investigation to the (Monroe) city attorney's office or the district attorney without making an arrest on misdemeanors," Stewart said. [continues 111 words]
