The Fourth Circuit DUI Court and Northern Hills Drug Court will hold a graduation ceremony to honor participants who have completed their programs. The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 2 p.m. MDT at the Sturgis Community Center Theater in Sturgis.
Participants will be recognized for successfully completing all phases of the intensive program. Friends and family are expected to attend, along with the public and media. "The Honorable Michael Day, presiding judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, will be the keynote speaker." Graduates will also share their experiences with the treatment court process during the ceremony.
The Fourth Circuit Treatment Courts serve Butte, Lawrence, and Meade counties in western South Dakota. DUI court sessions take place in Deadwood while drug court sessions occur in Sturgis. These weekly courts have been operational since 2007.
"Treatment courts are the most successful intervention for leading people living with substance use and mental health disorders out of the criminal justice system and into lives of recovery and stability," according to officials.
For further details, contact Rick Olauson, Fourth Circuit/Northern Hills Treatment Court Coordinator, at 605-222-0077 or via email at richard.olauson@ujs.state.sd.us. Additional information about South Dakota’s treatment courts can be found online.