Court News

Recovery Court held its summer graduation on Thursday, September 7, 2023, at Stella Maris on Cleveland's near west side. Eight clients completed the program.

In Recovery Court, Judge Joan Synenberg presides over offenders who have a moderate to severe substance use disorder, a low/moderate to high risk to reoffend, and human trafficking exposure/histories. Recovery Court is one of four dockets operating under the Drug Court umbrella in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

Stella Maris is Cleveland’s oldest addiction recovery center, in operation since 1948. According to their website, Stella Maris is one of two stand-alone medical detox centers in Cleveland, and the only site where clients can move through an entire continuum of care on one campus block; withdrawal management (detoxification), inpatient residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, recovery management, and supportive housing.

Specialized dockets are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. There are more than 210 specialized dockets in Ohio, and Recovery Court focuses on those with dual diagnoses of addiction and trauma.

The certification requirements include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket, and assembling a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, court personnel, and is headed by the specialized docket judge.

Congratulations to the graduates!