Judge Eric O’Briant talked about how Friday’s graduates had surpassed many obstacles in life to graduate from the Logan Drug Court Programs and how they had been successful in turning their lives around.
Logan Circuit Judge Eric O’Briant was a proud man on Friday, Oct. 26 when he congratulated two men and two women for passing the hurdles in their lives and battling past their problems to become success stories at the 2012 Logan County Drug Court Graduation ceremony at the
Logan County Commission Headquarters.
A packed room enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Granny Jack’s Restaurant on Cow Creek and heard from representatives of West Virginia’s Washington delegations, as well as learning more about the origins of Drug Courts in the Mountain State.
But make no mistake — the stars of the show were the two graduates from the Logan Juvenile Drug Court and the Logan Drug Court programs who had put in the time, hard work and effort to turn their lives around for the better.
O’Briant noted that one juvenile graduate could not be present for a very good reason.
“He has a job today and is working,” O’Briant explained, giving some background information about the graduate.
O’Briant noted that the teenager had many problems in life and at one point he had dropped out of school and had been advised to sign up on disability because nothing in life was going his way. However when he got into the Juvenile Drug Court program and began working with past
director Tiffany Robinson and the staff of the Logan Day Report Center things got a lot better for the young man.
“He re-enrolled in school,” the judge said. “He got his GED. Then he got a job. Then he got a vehicle. Then he joined a church. He also got a new girlfriend. He is doing very well now and he is at work today which is why he could not be with us.”
O’Briant then introduced the second graduate, an energetic young lady who noted “Drug Court changed my life.” “I appreciate all you have done for me,” she said to staff members. The judge pointed out that she was becoming successful in her academic life and had begun working
as well.
O’Briant then introduced a young man and his new family and congratulated him for his graduation. O’Briant noted that the man had worked hard to succeed and pointed out that at the beginning many people were skeptical about his chances for success, “there were many
bumps in the road but he got past them,” O’Briant said. “I am also proud to say that during his entire time in the program he never once had a positive drug screen. He stayed sober the entire time.”
The graduate thanked the judge and others noting that the drug court program helped him accomplish much in life. “I got a job and a family,” he said, pointing to his new-born baby.
The final graduate was a woman who was joined by her daughter, who noted that Drug Court had changed her life and given her peace of mind. The judge noted along the way she got her drivers license back, got a job and had maintained her sobriety.
It is good they are staying drug free. In many jobs, drug testing is mandatory. I get drug tested up to twice per year. I also have to get my clearance renewed every 5 years which includes a polygraph. Most jobs don’t go that far, but hell, working at Wal-Mart I had to get drug tested. I worked as a security guard once and had to not only get drug tested, but I had to do a polygraph. One of the first questions asked is: do you steal from your employer? Next question: Do you take drugs? Stay clean!
Kudos to the Logan Banner for giving us stories like this that are uplifting, and congratulations to each of the people who graduated and have become working men and women.