Drug Court participants in Baltimore City will be recognized by Baltimore City District Court for their successful completion of the Baltimore City Adult Drug Treatment Court (DTC) program on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at a ceremony presided by District Court Judge Nicole Taylor. The celebration will also commemorate 25 years of the Baltimore City District Court Adult Drug Treatment Court, Maryland’s pioneer problem-solving court.

The DTC was founded in 1994 as a comprehensive court-supervised and voluntary treatment-based program for substance users charged with misdemeanor and concurrent jurisdiction felonies in the District Court. Since then, more than 1,413 people have participated in 54 graduations at the Baltimore City District Court DTC. Its mission is serving the community and increasing public safety by integrating a coordinated treatment response for those with substance use disorders. In its 25th year, the DTC was restructured to perform in accordance with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ best practices guidelines to better serve a community plagued by the opioid epidemic. The program’s new motto is “Choose to Live.”

Approximately six DTC graduates will be joined by family, friends, judges, prosecutors, and more than a dozen community partners to celebrate their sobriety and success.

WHO:             Baltimore City District Court Judge Nicole Taylor, presiding
                        District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey
                        Baltimore City District Administrative Judge Barbara Baer Waxman
                        Adult Drug Treatment Court graduates

WHAT:          Baltimore City DTC graduation ceremony and 25th anniversary celebration

WHEN:           Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:         Baltimore City District Court
                       Courtroom 1
                       5800 Wabash Avenue, Baltimore, MD  21215

NOTE:           Please contact the Maryland Judiciary, Government Relations and Public Affairs, by email at [email protected] or 410-260-1488 if you plan to attend or have questions. The use of cameras inside the courtroom will be limited. Photographers will be allowed to take pictures of the graduates with Judge Taylor, but pictures are not permitted while the judge is on the bench. Photographers will be allowed to take still photography and/or video outside of the courtroom, but those requests must be approved in advance. Photographers must ask participants for their consent prior to taking pictures and/or video.

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