District Liaison - 9th JD Problem Solving Courts Office of the Administrative Judge
Denise Dizzine
Phone: 914-824-5127
[email protected]
Problem-solving courts examine the issues that bring litigants into the justice system and respond with innovative approaches, including intensive judicial monitoring and the incorporation of community resources, that are designed to increase offender accountability, enhance community safety and protect the rights of all litigants while improving the outcomes of individual cases.
Drug Treatment Courts - adult, family, juvenile
A drug court involves a dramatic intervention by the court in cooperation with an entire team of specialists in social services, treatment, and criminal justice professionals in the local community. In return for a promise of a reduced sentence (or return to the home of removed children in Family Court neglect matters), appropriate non-violent addicted offenders are given the option of entering voluntarily into court-supervised treatment. The rules and conditions of participation are clearly stated in a contract entered into by the defendant, the defense attorney, the district attorney, and the court. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, and drug courts have gone into operation all over the country.
Integrated Domestic Violence Court
Premised on the “one family-one judge” concept, IDV Courts allow a single judge to hear multiple cases involving the same family where the underlying issue is domestic violence. IDV Courts also aim to promote informed judicial decision-making, increase consistency in court orders, decrease the number of court appearances, and provide enhanced services to victims while ensuring offender accountability.
Mental Health Courts
New York State’s mental health courts seek to improve public safety, court operations, and the well-being of people with mental illness by linking to court-supervised, community-based treatment for defendants whose mental illness is related to their current criminal justice involvement and whose participation in the Mental Health Court will not create an increased risk to public safety.
Opportunity Youth Part
The Opportunity Youth Part (OYP) is a specialized problem-solving court serving justice-involved emerging adults ages 18 to 24. Established in 2020 following the implementation of Raise the Age, OYP was developed to address the need for a developmentally appropriate model for young adults within the criminal justice system.
Operating fully within existing criminal court jurisdiction, OYP maintains all constitutional protections and legal processes while applying a community-based, problem-solving approach to case processing and resolution. The part integrates judicial supervision with pretrial services, case management, and community-based programming to address the underlying factors contributing to system involvement. Participants are connected to individualized supports including education, workforce development, behavioral health services, mentoring, and housing assistance.
OYP reflects an evolving approach to problem-solving courts that incorporates principles of emerging adult and community-based justice.
Youthful Offender Domestic Violence
Youthful Offender Domestic Violence Courts ("YODVCs")operate on the model of the Domestic Violence Courts and are guided by the same mission statement and key principles. YODVCs are created in jurisdictions with high caseloads to handle exclusively those domestic violence cases involving defendants aged 16 through 19.
Sex Offense Court
Sex Offense Courts promote justice by providing a comprehensive approach to case resolution, increasing sex offender accountability, enhancing community safety, and ensuring victim safety while protecting the rights of all litigants. The purpose and function of sex offense courts is to promote best practices in the resolution of sex offense cases and to facilitate and enhance coordination and communication among relevant stakeholders.
Veterans Treatment Court
A Veterans Treatment Court/Track is a separate court calendar within an existing drug treatment or mental health court that provides veteran-defendants suffering from addiction, mental illness, and/or co-occurring disorders with linkages to community-based services as well as local, state, and federal agencies specializing in veterans' affairs. Similar to drug treatment and mental health courts, a Veterans Court/Track utilizes a team-centered approach to address the needs of veterans who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system. This approach involves the cooperation and collaboration of traditional stakeholders found in drug treatment and mental health courts, with the addition of representatives from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans support organizations, and peer mentors.
Peer mentors are a critical component of the Veterans Court/Track. They are men and women who have previously served in our military's armed forces and volunteer their time to work with veterans in court. By virtue of their military experience, peer mentors provide veteran-defendants with a unique source of support and motivation as they navigate through the court process. Through the use of peer mentors, judicial monitoring, coordinated services, and enhanced communication, the Veterans Court/Track seeks to provide veterans with immediate and intensive intervention so that they can successfully reintegrate into civilian life.
Locations with Veteran Treatment Tracks:
Orange County
- Newburgh City Drug Court
- Middletown City Drug Court
Westchester County
- Mount Vernon City Drug Court
- New Rochelle City Drug Court
- Westchester County Judicial Diversion (felony)
- White Plains City Drug Court
- Yonkers City Drug Court