Melissa B., one of the drug court graduates shares the moment with a friend.
Story and photos by Ted Waddell
MONTICELLO – “I can remember a time in my life when I didn’t care whether I lived or died. Praying to God for him to take me while asleep and hating him when I opened my eyes and was so broken,” said Vanessa Davis during the Sullivan County Drug Treatment Court Graduation ceremony held at the county courthouse on December 1.
Vanessa D. one of the proud graduates sheds a few years of joys after getting her diploma.
The single mother from Liberty was introduced on the program was introduced to the crowed courtroom as Vanessa D., but afterwards was proud to give her full name in front of her daughter Brianna, son Giovanni, sister Sarah, nephew Eugene and a best friend named Sarah, all of whom watched her proudly as she stepped up to receive her hard earned diploma from Sullivan County Court Judge Frank J. LaBuda, June Pato-Ryan, Sullivan County Drug Court Coordinator, and Sullivan County DA Stephen F. Lungen.
Davis said that getting through the drug court program wasn’t an easy road to hoe, but it certainly beat the alternative. She said she was put on probation for drinking and smoking dope, but broke the conditions of probation and wound up in the local drug court.
“I wanted to quit so many times, but I knew that my destructive ways would lead me to prison or worse – dead. I was broken down and they gave me a chance…it was worth it to see the change in myself.”
Sullivan County Court Judge Frank J. LaBuda addressed the six graduates and attendees to the ceremony.
Five-some years ago Judge LaBuda, DA Lungen and others teamed up to form the Sullivan County Drug Court, which now has about four graduating classes a year.
Members of the drug court: Sullivan County Court (Judge LaBuda, chief clerk Earl Lilley, Pato-Ryan), DA’s Office (DA Lungen, and ADA Joey Z. Drillings), Sullivan Legal Aid Panel, Inc. (Stephen Schick, executive director, and Mark Sherman), Sullivan County Probation Department (Kristy Sigelakis, probation officer), Sullivan County Department of Public services (Kathi W. Hitt, compliance director, and Rosemary Wolfe, coordinator intervention & outreach), Sullivan County Alcohol & drug Abuse Services (Melissa Stickle, coordinator), and from the Recovery Center (Julia Garay-Daniel, day rehab director).The mission statement of the Drug Court:
- “A program that brings together the justice system with the chemical dependency treatment system to assist substance abusers with criminal charges, who meet program criteria, to overcome their drug problem benefitting both themselves and the community.”
- “The Sullivan County Drug Court Team works with each participant to provide assessment of their chemical dependency problem, referral to an appropriate treatment provider, and management of their criminal case.”
- “The goal is to help participants break the drug-crime cycle through
recovery from addiction and become productive law-0abiding members f the
community.”
June Pato-Ryan, drug court coordinator.
The short version of the drug court ‘s mission is summed up in their motto, “Knowledge attained, change retained. Striving to live drug-free and alcohol-free.”
Judge LaBuda’s take on the role of the drug court?
“It’s so important to making our community a better place by taking people with drug and alcohol problems who violate the law, and giving them help, the chance to get over their problems and become productive citizens again.”
He noted that the graduating class of December 1, 2009 was with six grads, the second largest group to successfully compete the program, only two short of the record number of eight graduates.
The graduates of 12-1-2009: Barry B., Melissa B., Kevin C., Vanessa D., Timothy F., and Jose V.
After the graduation ceremony, Timothy F. serenaded his fellow-grads and the courtroom filled with relatives, drug court alumni and well-wishers with a few holiday tunes.
Judge LaBuda described the county’s drug court program “as the good part of my job, it’s not blood and guts, it’s about positive people trying to turn their lives around.”
Timothy F., drug court graduate, serenades his fellow grads and guests with holiday songs.
According to Judge LaBuda, a veteran of Desert Storm, and retiring DA Lungen, a highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, they have been worked on establishing a Veteran’s Court in the County, which he expects to see operation by next year.
The idea for setting up a veterans court stemmed from an incident back on March 9 in Buffalo, NY when police responded to a disturbance call at the residence of a 59-year old U.S. Army veteran of the War in Vietnam, who in court said he confronted the uniformed officers with a loaded shotgun because he was drunk on vodka and was suffering wartime flashbacks. The incident was reported in USA Today by Matthew Daneman, who quoted the vet as telling Buffalo City Court Judge Robert Russell “I’m still in recovery, still facing myself”, as he recounted thinking the responding officers were Vietcong soldiers from 40-some years in his past. Judge Russell created Buffalo’s drug treatment court in 1995, and a mental heath treatment court in 2003.
In January, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI), this is the nation’s first veterans treatment court.
“Especially now will the record number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder)…there is a crisis in the nation and the veteran’s administration,” said Judge LaBuda, adding he was recently faced with the difficult task of sending a Vietnam War vet with a drinking problem to prison.
Keynote speaker Sullivan County DA Stephen F. Lungen talked to the graduates about becoming productive members of the community.
Sullivan County DA Lungen was the keynote speaker, a slice of time Judge LaBuda called “a bittersweet moment”, as Lungen is stepping down as DA after 28-years at the helm and a total of 36 years in public service.
“I applaud each of you for your achievement as that is something that you can certainly be proud of,” Lungen told the graduates and alumni sitting in the jury box. “You each took paths in your life that led you in the wrong direction, away from success and happiness, eventually each of you got caught, wound up being arrested and came, either voluntarily or by fore, to this drug court…But after many months of hard work, sacrifices, some ups and downs,
six of you have made it to graduation. Today is a new beginning for all of you. You have begun to turn your lives around.”
Not one to talk a lot about his military service as a platoon leader and company commander of an infantry rifle unit in charge of 140 men during the heat of the Vietnam War, he told the assemblage these experiences helped him focus on the important things in life.
“The experiences that I had in Vietnam, the things that I witnessed, that I did, have affected every facet of my life to date…adversity makes you stronger and you learn to build on it, use it to your advantage.”
To view more photos or to purchase prints from Stories of Redemption and Hope visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.
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The Catskill Chronicle 
Stories of Redemption and Hope
December 4, 2009 by The Catskill Chronicle
Melissa B., one of the drug court graduates shares the moment with a friend.
Story and photos by Ted Waddell
MONTICELLO – “I can remember a time in my life when I didn’t care whether I lived or died. Praying to God for him to take me while asleep and hating him when I opened my eyes and was so broken,” said Vanessa Davis during the Sullivan County Drug Treatment Court Graduation ceremony held at the county courthouse on December 1.
Vanessa D. one of the proud graduates sheds a few years of joys after getting her diploma.
The single mother from Liberty was introduced on the program was introduced to the crowed courtroom as Vanessa D., but afterwards was proud to give her full name in front of her daughter Brianna, son Giovanni, sister Sarah, nephew Eugene and a best friend named Sarah, all of whom watched her proudly as she stepped up to receive her hard earned diploma from Sullivan County Court Judge Frank J. LaBuda, June Pato-Ryan, Sullivan County Drug Court Coordinator, and Sullivan County DA Stephen F. Lungen.
Davis said that getting through the drug court program wasn’t an easy road to hoe, but it certainly beat the alternative. She said she was put on probation for drinking and smoking dope, but broke the conditions of probation and wound up in the local drug court.
“I wanted to quit so many times, but I knew that my destructive ways would lead me to prison or worse – dead. I was broken down and they gave me a chance…it was worth it to see the change in myself.”
Sullivan County Court Judge Frank J. LaBuda addressed the six graduates and attendees to the ceremony.
Five-some years ago Judge LaBuda, DA Lungen and others teamed up to form the Sullivan County Drug Court, which now has about four graduating classes a year.
Members of the drug court: Sullivan County Court (Judge LaBuda, chief clerk Earl Lilley, Pato-Ryan), DA’s Office (DA Lungen, and ADA Joey Z. Drillings), Sullivan Legal Aid Panel, Inc. (Stephen Schick, executive director, and Mark Sherman), Sullivan County Probation Department (Kristy Sigelakis, probation officer), Sullivan County Department of Public services (Kathi W. Hitt, compliance director, and Rosemary Wolfe, coordinator intervention & outreach), Sullivan County Alcohol & drug Abuse Services (Melissa Stickle, coordinator), and from the Recovery Center (Julia Garay-Daniel, day rehab director).The mission statement of the Drug Court:
recovery from addiction and become productive law-0abiding members f the
community.”
June Pato-Ryan, drug court coordinator.
The short version of the drug court ‘s mission is summed up in their motto, “Knowledge attained, change retained. Striving to live drug-free and alcohol-free.”
Judge LaBuda’s take on the role of the drug court?
“It’s so important to making our community a better place by taking people with drug and alcohol problems who violate the law, and giving them help, the chance to get over their problems and become productive citizens again.”
He noted that the graduating class of December 1, 2009 was with six grads, the second largest group to successfully compete the program, only two short of the record number of eight graduates.
The graduates of 12-1-2009: Barry B., Melissa B., Kevin C., Vanessa D., Timothy F., and Jose V.
After the graduation ceremony, Timothy F. serenaded his fellow-grads and the courtroom filled with relatives, drug court alumni and well-wishers with a few holiday tunes.
Judge LaBuda described the county’s drug court program “as the good part of my job, it’s not blood and guts, it’s about positive people trying to turn their lives around.”
Timothy F., drug court graduate, serenades his fellow grads and guests with holiday songs.
According to Judge LaBuda, a veteran of Desert Storm, and retiring DA Lungen, a highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, they have been worked on establishing a Veteran’s Court in the County, which he expects to see operation by next year.
The idea for setting up a veterans court stemmed from an incident back on March 9 in Buffalo, NY when police responded to a disturbance call at the residence of a 59-year old U.S. Army veteran of the War in Vietnam, who in court said he confronted the uniformed officers with a loaded shotgun because he was drunk on vodka and was suffering wartime flashbacks. The incident was reported in USA Today by Matthew Daneman, who quoted the vet as telling Buffalo City Court Judge Robert Russell “I’m still in recovery, still facing myself”, as he recounted thinking the responding officers were Vietcong soldiers from 40-some years in his past. Judge Russell created Buffalo’s drug treatment court in 1995, and a mental heath treatment court in 2003.
In January, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI), this is the nation’s first veterans treatment court.
“Especially now will the record number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder)…there is a crisis in the nation and the veteran’s administration,” said Judge LaBuda, adding he was recently faced with the difficult task of sending a Vietnam War vet with a drinking problem to prison.
Keynote speaker Sullivan County DA Stephen F. Lungen talked to the graduates about becoming productive members of the community.
Sullivan County DA Lungen was the keynote speaker, a slice of time Judge LaBuda called “a bittersweet moment”, as Lungen is stepping down as DA after 28-years at the helm and a total of 36 years in public service.
“I applaud each of you for your achievement as that is something that you can certainly be proud of,” Lungen told the graduates and alumni sitting in the jury box. “You each took paths in your life that led you in the wrong direction, away from success and happiness, eventually each of you got caught, wound up being arrested and came, either voluntarily or by fore, to this drug court…But after many months of hard work, sacrifices, some ups and downs,
six of you have made it to graduation. Today is a new beginning for all of you. You have begun to turn your lives around.”
Not one to talk a lot about his military service as a platoon leader and company commander of an infantry rifle unit in charge of 140 men during the heat of the Vietnam War, he told the assemblage these experiences helped him focus on the important things in life.
“The experiences that I had in Vietnam, the things that I witnessed, that I did, have affected every facet of my life to date…adversity makes you stronger and you learn to build on it, use it to your advantage.”
To view more photos or to purchase prints from Stories of Redemption and Hope visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.
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