Drug Addiction – How is this issue addressed within the court system, and within your criminal defense practice?

The obvious and sad reality is that addiction often leads to criminal behavior including theft, drug sales, DUI, and other more serious criminal violations. There are numerous drug programs in Southern California, in-patient and out-patient, available to treat drug and alcohol addiction. Often we have used these programs as an alternative to jail or prison for clients in custody as part of the Alternative Sentencing scheme. Under California criminal law, a defendant will avoid jail or prison upon successful completion of a drug rehabilitation programs such as Deferred Entry of Judgment, Proposition 36, and Drug Diversion. While keeping clients out of jail is the firm's main objective, we are also concerned about recidivism. We want to prevent clients from relapsing and being rearrested. Accordingly, we counsel clients to take their rehabilitation seriously. We encourage them to commit to change with a sponsor or the 12-step lifestyle, and also encourage seeing a therapist on a regular basis.