Treatment Courts – Recovery Courts in Mecklenburg County – S.T.E.P. Court
Photo courtesy of Mecklenburg County Courthouse
Mecklenburg County S.T.E.P. Program stands for “Mecklenburg County Supervision, Treatment, Education, and Prevention Program”. It was started in 1995. You may have heard of “Drug Treatment Court”. Drug Treatment Court was the name that Mecklenburg County previously used to refer to the treatment courts offered to drug addicts and drug abusers.
The Mecklenburg County S.T.E.P. Court Program operates six treatment court programs:
- District Court Recovery Court
- DWI Recovery Court
- Superior Court Recovery Court
- FIRST Program
- Youth Recovery Court
- Mental Health Court
What do these courts do?
These treatment courts offer rehabilitative services to criminal defense clients who may be struggling with substance abuse or addiction. These courts provide criminal defense clients with an opportunity to work toward a dismissal or to decrease their probationary period (or shift from supervised probation to unsupervised probation. The way in which they do this is by following treatment recommendations and utilizing the resources available to these defendants. These alternative treatment courts in Mecklenburg County can be a great resource for criminal defense clients.
But I was charged with a felony. Can I still participate in the Mecklenburg County S.T.E.P. Program?
Certain misdemeanor and felony criminal charges are appropriate for a STEP Court recommendation. See below for more information.
Eligibility – who is eligible?
A defendant must both be charged with a specific crime that makes him eligible for treatment court AND be proper for treatment court (meaning, they have a substance abuse/addiction/chemical dependency).
Certain criminal charges or criminal convictions appropriate for S.T.E.P. Court:
- DWI Conviction (Level 1 or 2)
- DWI Probation Violation Conviction
- Class 1 Misdemeanor Drug Crimes
- Or misdemeanor probation violations stemming from one of these convictions
- Class 1 Misdemeanor Property crimes (for example, injury to property)
- Or misdemeanor probation violations stemming from one of these convictions
- Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance
- Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud or Forgery
- Felony Property crimes (for example, felony breaking and entering)
How to get into a treatment court in Mecklenburg County
A defendant may only attend an alternative court if they are court-ordered to do so. This means that the sentencing judge needs to order that the defendant attend one of these treatment courts. A defendant may have his or her criminal defense attorney advocate for him or her to attend an alternative court program.
If you think you might be eligible for Mecklenburg County S.T.E.P. Court, you should speak with a criminal defense lawyer. Gilles Law has criminal defense attorneys licensed in both North Carolina or South Carolina, both at the federal and state levels.
