The Public Defender's Office and Mental Health Court announced the first graduation ceremony for Mental Health Court graduates will be held on Monday. Judge Lila Statom will be presiding over the graduation of two participants in the General Sessions Mental Health Court program.
There will be a short graduation ceremony and celebration at 1:30 p.m. on the 2nd floor of the Criminal Courthouse immediately following the General Sessions Mental Health Court docket led by Judge Statom.
The Mental Health Court team led by Anna Protano-Biggs, assistant public defender and director, will be on hand to answer questions.
The Mental Health Court program is a voluntary program open to criminal defendants with serious mental illness who are candidates for an alternative sentence. There is a strong emphasis on judicial supervision combined with individualized plans of intensive social and treatment services to help participants who would otherwise be released into the community without additional support. It is a two-year program in Criminal Court led by Judge Don Poole and an 11-month and 29-day program in General Sessions Court led by Judge Statom.
Monday’s celebration will be the first Mental Health Court graduation ceremony since its inception in 2015.