Thomas J. Byrne

Judge denied a client to take part in a court ordered diversion program for people with substance use disorders called SOAR. Client completed over 100 days of substance abuse treatment inside the jail and graduated, his next step would be to move on to the SOAR program. Judge denied the motion for client to begin SOAR and stated "I'm sure there is other substance abuse programming inside the jail the client can take part in" except there is not. The judge is hindering the client from actually addressing factors that led to incarceration in a controlled, supervised environment (sober living facility with electronic monitoring) and keeping him in the jail when there is no more treatment options inside only wastes tax payer dollars.