North Dakota courts face budget cuts
A year ago, 37-year-old Chris Lillico had hit rock bottom. It was September 2015 when police caught him with a meth pipe and a baggie lined with methamphetamine residue.
He was arrested, went to court and sat the next three months in the county jail. It was a wake-up call for the Grand Forks father and laborer. He had a choice to make: more jail time or a permanent lifestyle change.
Lillico had heard about the drug court program and asked his public defender if he might be a candidate. As a first-time drug offender, he was accepted and in March he started the program and his path to a clean life.
Drug court is a yearlong program broken into four phases. The first phase involved meeting with a judge Monday evenings, followed by two hours of treatment counseling. Tuesday was another two hours of counseling, with a repeat on Thursday.
Read more: http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4118117-north-dakota-courts-face-budget-cuts
