Green Valley DUI Court announces its first graduate  

GREEN VALLEY, AZ (April 9, 2024) — The first participant in the Green Valley DUI Treatment Court has graduated from the first-of-its-kind program run jointly by the Green Valley Justice Court and Pima County Attorney’s Office.

Guests during the graduation ceremony, held last week, included Pima County Supervisor Sylvia Lee and Pima County Attorney Laura Conover.

Launched last fall, yesterday’s graduate is one of 20 people expected to matriculate this year from the Green Valley DUI Treatment Court.

“This graduate of the specialty court is the first of many who have taken personal responsibility for their actions and embarked on a rigorous journey choosing a path to recovery. They put in the hard work to turn this small setback into a big comeback,” said Green Valley Justice Court Judge Ray Carroll.

“Having a private moment with Antonio after he received his certificate of completion and his dismissal is exactly what restorative justice is best known for,” said Conover. “My presence as the head prosecutor represented the harm and the risk he had caused to the community because he drove while impaired. And because of his hard work, day after day, he had repaid his debt and will now move forward successfully with the skills necessary to thrive. This is how we become a healthier and safer community.”

As Antonio looks to start fresh with graduation from the DUI Treatment Court, the Green Valley Justice Court has chosen not to include his last name in this release.

The voluntary, pre-adjudicated program for some first-time offenders focuses on recovery and treatment. It offers an alternative to the mandatory fines, jail time, and other onerous penalties that come with a traditional DUI conviction.

Participants are required to cover the cost of the program, including frequent drug and alcohol testing, individual counseling, and transportation costs associated with all the requirements of the program. If successful, participants receive a reduced plea of reckless driving after graduating.

Research shows that DUI courts lower overall recidivism among successful participants, reduce the cost to the criminal justice system, and improve outcomes for 100 percent of those in the program.