Specialty Courts

Dependency Drug Court

Dependency Drug Court is a partnership between the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court, Department of Children and Families, Child Welfare Legal Services, the Guardian Ad Litem Program, defense attorneys, and treatment providers to work with chemically dependent parents who are involved in the dependency court system. Parents are offered the opportunity to break the cycle of addiction with early intervention, intensive treatment, weekly court sessions to provide immediate response for both success and/or failure to comply with program policies. This is designed to help parents live a drug free life and to assume the total responsibility of parenting their children as soon as possible.

Parents are referred to Dependency Drug Court by the Dependency Court Judge. Parents referred must be an active client of the Department of Children and Families, with a petition for Dependency filed with the court. Additionally, parents must have a current pattern of history of alcohol and/or drug abuse or addiction.

The average length of Dependency Drug Court is one year, and the participants must be willing to be involved. This program provides support and treatment in order to facilitate family reunification and permanency planning for children.

Adult Felony Drug Court

Adult Felony Drug Court, a division of the Alachua County Department of Court Services, provides pretrial diversion to individuals who have been arrested and charged with substance abuse related offenses. It provides an alternative to incarceration and is based on a therapeutic rather than a punitive model.

Adult Felony Drug Court provides the following services: group and individual therapy, acupuncture/mediation therapy, support groups, random drug testing, and case management. The philosophy of this program is that providing rehabilitation for individuals with substance abuse problems will curb recidivism.

The average length of Adult Felony Drug Court is 12-18 months. Successful completion will result in the participant's charges being nolle prossed by the Office of the State Attorney.

Mental Health Court

Mental Health Court is a partnership between the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court, Department of Children and Families, defense attorneys, State Attorney's Office, Alachua County Court Services, and treatment providers that work with defendants arrested for misdemeanor offenses who are mentally ill or developmentally disabled. By providing defendants access to the least restrictive treatment, training, and support services necessary to reduce recidivism and ensure public safety, the program is designed to divert the mentally ill and developmentally disabled defendants from jail and to expedite legal case processing through the criminal justice system.

Defendants are referred to Mental Health Court by Judges, Alachua County Court Services, defense attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, mental health providers, and the Forensic Program Director at the Alachua County Jail. Defendants accepted into the program must have been diagnosed with an Axis I mental health illness or a development disability, who have been arrested on a non-violent misdemeanor charge.

Participation in Mental Health Court Program is voluntary.  The average length of Mental Health Court is four to six months. Upon successful completion of Mental Health Court, the charges will be dismissed and the criminal case closed.

Felony Forensic (916) Court

Felony Forensic Court is a partnership between the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court, Office of the State Attorney, Office of the Public Defender, Clerk’s Office, Department of Corrections, defense attorneys, and treatment providers to ensure that mentally ill defendants are effectively managed by the criminal justice system.  It works with felony defendants that have been found to be Incompetent to proceed, Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, and defendants that are on probation with mental health conditions.  It ensures that their criminal case is resolved as quickly as possible, and schedules ongoing court hearings to review their progress in mental health treatment. 

For more information on any of the Specialty Courts offered in the Eighth Judicial Circuit, please call Lina Catasus, Specialty Courts Manager, at (352) 384-3094.