Valencia Magistrate Court to Hold DWI Drug Court Graduation This Friday

Graduation day arrives this Friday, November 20, for five participants in Valencia Magistrate Court Judge Danny H. Hawkes’ DWI Drug Court program. Each graduate received a year of intensive monitoring, supervision and treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Graduation ceremonies will take place during a full DWI Drug Court hearing which begins at noon.

As part of the graduation ceremonies, the five participants will describe to the court, family, friends and the fourteen current participants in the program how the DWI Drug Court program changed their lives.

“Participants in the DWI Drug Court program are non-felony DWI offenders with two to three prior convictions,” said Judge Hawkes in a statement released by the office of the New Mexico Judiciary. “They were not dealing with a major root of their problem -- their substance abuse. We offered these five who are graduating on Friday an opportunity to get treatment for their substance abuse, continue to work and support their families or attend school, and basically turn their lives around. They took us up on our offer, and with hard work they succeeded. I am proud of them and wish them productive lives.”

The Valencia County DWI Drug Court began in March of 2008. Participating defendants cannot have a violent history or prior felonies. The current offense cannot involve an accident with injuries. Only those exhibiting true remorse and a desire to make a permanent lifestyle change are approved for the program. A maximum of 20 people may participate at a time.

The Valencia Magistrate Court’s DWI Drug Court Coordinator Gilbert Romero said, “This program benefits both defendants and the community. The cost of the program is $20 per day per individual, which is an annual rate of $7,280. Without this program, defendants would likely be incarcerated in the county jail for 364 days at a cost to taxpayers of $85 per day, or $30,940 a year, with no substance abuse treatment or ability to earn a living or attend school. Further, DWI offenders who serve prison sentences are significantly more likely to be arrested again for DWI than drug court participants.”

The Valencia County Magistrate Court is located at 901 West Castillo, Belen, NM 87002. For further information, contact Gilbert Romero at 505.864.7509, or Angela Peinado, AOC’s CIP/DC Statewide Coordinator, at 505.827.4729.