County’s Adult Recovery Court honors its graduates

Retired Indiana Supreme Court Justice Steven H. David was the keynote speaker during the second Adult Recovery Court graduation ceremony at The Commons Tuesday.

While the Ogilville native and current Columbus resident spoke before a crowd of about 85 people, David spent the majority of his address talking directly to the four graduates. He also recognized the previous graduates of Adult Recovery Court, as well as a group currently enrolled in the program.

“Falling down is part of life, but getting up is living” the 65-year-old David told past and current participants. “It may not make (staying sober) any easier, but you have hundreds, if not thousands of people in this community that you have in your corner.”

David pointed to Bartholomew County’s three problem-solving courts (Adult Recovery, Family and Veterans) as evidence that Columbus is a community that cares about helping those who “fall down.” He noted there are only about 139 such courts located throughout Indiana’s 92 counties.

“One of Indiana’s biggest problems is getting individuals to commit to a life-changing process,” David said. “It’s hard. But as we all know, doing what is right usually isn’t easy – or we’d all do it.”

Problem-solving courts address the underlying problems that contribute to criminal behavior, according to those who supervise the program. Participants are often ordered them into treatment, rather than incarcerated. With the entire court offering support to qualified participants, problem-solving courts have been proven to reduce the number of repeat offenders, they said.

David also read a message to past and current Adult Recovery Court graduates from Gov. Eric Holcomb:

“Because of your commitment and your efforts during this court program, you have earned the right to stand here proud today. It’s extremely admirable that you have come this far, taking important steps to turn your lives around, and are in a better place now to live a happier and more productive life,” Holcomb said.

While the Supreme Court Justice said he was a pretty good criminal attorney, David told those in attendance that he couldn’t hold a candle to Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin, who received a standing ovation when she was introduced at the start of the event.

Another highlight of the graduation was the awarding of the “Above and Beyond” award, which is presented to those who do far more than expected as volunteers in the Adult Recovery Court. The award went to Brett Gardner and Julie Terry of the St. Peters Lutheran Church’s Life Works program.