Disgrace in drug court
One Georgia drug court attracted widespread national attention over the past year.
In January, Amanda Williams, the chief judge in Brunswick who presided over Georgia’s largest drug court, resigned in disgrace amid charges that she behaved in a tyrannical manner and locked up some drug court defendants indefinitely, with orders they have no access to their family or lawyer.
One woman given an open-ended sentence by Williams in 2008 attempted suicide after two months in jail. The woman had previously been flagged for having suicidal tendencies.
Judicial Qualifications Commission charges also accused Williams of using “rude, abusive and insulting language” to some of her drug court defendants.
University of Pennsylvania senior scientist Douglas Marlowe, a national expert on drug courts, said it is critical that accountability courts operate according to standards.
“I’m here to tell you — do it right — and you will save a lot of money and increase public safety,” he said. “The research is unambiguous about this.”
The drug court model is not about breaking someone down, Marlowe added. “The goal is to say look, ‘You have this illness. You may or may not be responsible for the illness, but you are responsible for your recovery. You are responsible for your behavior.’ Nobody should be yelling in your face in a drug court.”
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
