FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 5, 2025 – Kentucky Specialty Courts announced today that the Johnson County Drug Court program attained certification based on its use of best practices to create optimal conditions for participant outcomes.
“It’s a testament to how hard the Specialty Court has worked and continues to work to help those in need,” said Johnson County District Court Judge D. Brett Butcher, who volunteers his time to serve as the county’s Drug Court judge. “Their dedication and efforts deserve all the credit for this accomplishment. I’m happy to play a role in this outstanding program.”
The Johnson program was evaluated and certified in 2024 with the standards set out in Kentucky Supreme Court Administrative Order 2022-50. The certification is for three years.
Kentucky Specialty Courts certification efforts started in 2023 with the Supreme Court’s adoption of amended rules in the Supreme Court order. The Certification Advisory Committee that oversees the certification process is headed by the chief justice and made up of 11 members.
Other Kentucky Drug Court programs that have received certification serve the jurisdictions of Campbell, Clark, Daviess, Fayette, Hardin, Jefferson, McCracken and Pulaski counties.
Specialty Courts staff continue to work with Drug Courts across the commonwealth that are seeking certification. The goal is for all Drug Court programs to become certified and Kentucky to be nationally recognized for its certification process.
About Kentucky Drug Court
Kentucky Drug Court operates as part of the Department of Specialty Courts at the Administrative Office of the Courts. Drug Court was Kentucky’s first Specialty Court program. Since being introduced as a pilot program in 1996, Drug Court has grown to all 120 counties.
Drug Court serves nonviolent offenders whose primary challenges stem from substance use disorder. This court-managed program offers treatment, intensive supervision, drug testing and case management at no cost to participants. Some counties provide programs for both felony- and misdemeanor-level offenses. Those who complete the program may have their charges dismissed through diversion or be granted conditional discharge through probation.
To learn more about Specialty Courts, visit https://kcoj.info/SpecialtyCourts.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The AOC is the operations arm of the Judicial Branch (Kentucky Court of Justice) and is based in Frankfort. The AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 412 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks and executes the Judicial Branch budget.
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