Model Judge in Mental Health Court

This story will give you a nice overview of a mental health court’s operation in IL, but the real story for me was the amazing judge who decided to get the thing started and make it work. These are the folks we talk about when we defer to judicial wisdom. It’s another case of how much successful policy depends on entrepreneurs like this judge, people willing to take on the causes as their own. It’s also an example of why these folks need to be supported and supplemented as much as possible because you end the story very afraid that he and his judging partner will burn out. (And while we’re on the topic of specialty courts, here’s a good story on a drug court saved in KY.)