The Delaware State Courts will be closed on Tuesday, November 5th for Election Day. Justice of the Peace Court 11 (New Castle County) and Court 7 (Kent County) will remain open 24 hours and Justice of the Peace Court 3 (Sussex County) will be open from 6AM – 12PM (no new cases after 11:00PM).

Sussex County Courts including Justice of the Peace Court 2, 4, and 17 will be closing at noon on Thursday, November 7th for Return Day. JP Court 14 will be closed the entire day due to proximity to Return Day events.

Drug Court Program


Background


Seventy-eight percent of those incarcerated in America have a substance abuse problem.

Traditional criminal justice procedures are not equipped to deal with the contemporary drug crisis and needs for treatment.

Court dockets are crowded with unprecedented numbers of drug-related cases.

Rather than capitulate to such overwhelming problems courts have embraced a new model for the processing of drug cases and rehabilitation of offenders.

Drug Courts give defendants the opportunity to participate in mandatory drug treatment programs, and then closely monitors participation.

The Drug Court is a comprehensive systematic approach to dealing with the needs of defendants with drug problems. It separates nonviolent offenders with substance abuse problems from the more violent offenders who require incarceration. It also separates serious and less serious substance abusers for the appropriate treatment.

Re-arrest among drug court graduates is considerably lower than among those who do not complete the program. According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals 70% of the Drug Court defendants finish the programs, and 75% are not rearrested within two years.