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Fulton County Drug Court graduate:
PROGRAM ‘SAVED MY LIFE’ By LEAH SANDER Staff Writer
Daulton Conley had been battling drug addiction for some time. He was accepted into Fulton County Drug Court where he struggled with the program at first, but said after awhile he realized: “I’ve got an opportunity here to change my life.” “It really did: it saved my life through the program,” he said. Fulton County’s court was certified in 2020, with the first person graduating in 2021. Through it, those facing substance-related charges complete a number of objectives in exchange for lesser punishments. “It’s to address their underlying problems they have when coming into the criminal justice system, to address those to where they’re not coming back into the criminal justice system,” said Fulton County Superior Court Judge Greg Heller. He’s part of the board overseeing the program, with other members consisting of: Prosecutor Mike Marrs, Deputy Prosecutor Rachel Arndt, Chief Public Defender MacKenzie Breitenstein, Chief Probation Officer Andy Holland, Probation Officer Todd Hudkins, and 4C Health Assistant Director of Criminal Justice and Peer Recovery Services Becky Clark. Heller wanted to establish a court when he was first running for election in 2018. “(Fulton Circuit Court) Judge (Christopher) Lee really worked with Andy to really get the groundwork laid in preparation for that before I even got into office,” said Heller. People may be referred to the court by defense attorneys, judges, the prosecutor’s office and probation. “It was started primarily for people who have had a long history of specifically substance abuse and
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GRADUATION DAY — Michael Fugate poses with those associated with Fulton County Drug Court on his graduation from it in May 2024. Shown from left are Fulton County Chief Probation Officer Andy Holland, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Greg Heller, Fugate, Fulton County Probation Officer Todd Hudkins, Fulton County Prosecutor Mike Marrs, Fulton County Chief Public Defender MacKenzie Breitenstein and Daulton Conley. Photo provided by Michael Fugate. criminal history,” Heller explained. “We have now taken in participants with lesser histories, but normally it’s not going to be for first-time offenders.” People generally get an “upfront, fixed- plea agreement,” said Heller, which means they will face a maximum sentence for their charges if they don’t successfully complete the court. “Honestly, if they finish the program, the felony charges normally are dismissed,” added Holland. The program started out being 12 months, but leaders are changing it to 18 months. Those months are broken up into four phases. In the first one, inmates must complete such requirements as drug testing is twice a week, appearing in court weekly and working on obtaining employment or doing vocational/educational activities. The first phase also includes being GPS-monitored on home detention or a stay in a residential addic-
CHANGED LIVES — Two of Fulton County Drug Court’s graduates, Michael Fugate, left, and Daulton Conley pose in Fulton County Superior Court. Photo by Leah Sander. tion treatment facility, like Serenity House in Warsaw. In the next three phases, requirements include program members having to get and maintain employment, with court appearances decreasing and drug testing lessening
over time. People also move off of home monitoring into weekly case management and then weekly office visits. Holland noted the county prefers Continued on page 5
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