Specialty Court Programs

Welcome to the 41-A District Court Sobriety Court Program. Who you are - and who you will become - are very important to us. We have looked at your past only to decide if you belong in this innovative, problem-solving court. Now, together, we will look to the future, to the positive changes you can make in your life as you successfully navigate our program.

Approved Local Administrative Order Establishing 41-A District Court Treatment Court Program

Questions about treatment court? Please email the 41-A District Court Court Administrator or the Probation Department. 

How to Apply

The 41-A District Court Specialty Court program is open to adult Macomb County residents who have a primary alcohol use disorder and are facing repeated legal consequences as a result of driving with alcohol in their system. We are unable to accept participants who have assaultive felonies in their background. Additional eligibility qualifications can be found on our referral form. 

If you are interested in applying for our program, please complete the SOBRIETY COURT REFERRAL FORM below and obtain an ICHAT criminal history. ICHAT histories may be purchased for $10 at https://apps.michigan.gov/. 

• DWI Sobriety Court Referral Form

The Probation Department accepts applications by email, fax, mail, or in-person. Please include a valid email address and phone number for the applicant. Once that information is received, an email will be sent with a screening date and time, as well as a referral to an agency to complete a clinical evaluation. Clinical evaluations are completed prior to admission, at a cost to the participant set by the clinical agency. 

Admission Procedure

Once a potential participant has been found to meet criteria, a letter will be sent to the Judge of Record indicating as such. The participant will need to review the Participant Handbook, and complete and return the Participation Agreement to the 41-A District Court Specialty Court prior to acceptance. Once the Court has received the Participation Agreement, the defendant will be contacted via phone or email, with all appropriate referrals, given their first probation report date, and provided with a date for their first Case Review Session with the Sobriety Court Team. 

Case Review Sessions are held biweekly on Wednesdays in Courtroom #3 of the 41-A District Court, 40111 Dodge Park Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48313. 

Important Documents

• DWI Sobriety Court Participant Handbook
• DWI Sobriety Court Participant Handbook Appendices 
• DWI Sobriety Court Participant Agreement

About Treatment Courts

Treatment courts started in the late 1980’s in response to a firmly held belief that the traditional criminal justice system was not successfully handling drug-related cases. While these innovative courts vary widely in specific practices and procedures, all drug treatment courts share an underlying belief that addicted people can change if they are given the right tools, encouragement and supervision. They can beat their addiction.

Using court-supervised treatment, together with close supervision and frequent random drug testing, the members of a drug treatment court work as a unified team to help individuals change into drug and alcohol free, law-abiding citizens.

 The bottom line - treatment courts work and our Sobriety Court Program can work for you!

Participant Forms

• Travel Form (PDF)
  
• Phase Requirement Checklists: I / II / III / IV / V
• Application to Advance to Phase: II / III / IV / V 
• Application for Specialty Court Graduation

Useful Links

Sterling Heights Drug Free Coalition https://sterlingheightsdrugfree.wordpress.com/

Families Against Narcotics https://www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org/macomb

AA of Southeast Michigan https://aa-semi.org/

SMART Recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org/

Sterling Heights Police Department Community Outreach and Resident Engagement Program https://www.sterling-heights.net/1549/CORE-Program

List of Drug and Sobriety Courts in the State of Michigan https://www.courts.michigan.gov/490c65/siteassets/court-administration/best-practices/psc/drugsobrietycourts.pdf

Macomb County Community Mental Health (ACCESS Center) Crisis Line 586-307-9100 https://www.mccmh.net/