Michigan
24 years sober, lawyer blazes trail in drug court
Excerpt: Holland, MI —More than 24 years ago, Don Hann started down the path to long-term sobriety.
Today, he’s using his experiences as both a defense attorney and a recovering alcoholic to help others do the same through Ottawa County’s Adult Sobriety/Drug Court.
Hann, 72, was named a Michigan Drug Court Hero at the Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals earlier this month. The statewide award is given to one of each type of professional who contributes to drug courts, from attorneys to judges to probation officers.
“Twenty-four years ago, I was a hopeless drunk in the gutter, and now I’m a certified hero,” Hann said with a smile and a laugh as he accepted his award Wednesday during a Drug Court session at the 58th District Court in Holland.
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1336918583/Attorney-honored-as-trai...
Article: Amicable Split: 'Collaborative divorce' offers fewer fights, costs
Excerpt: Is there a nicer way to get divorced?
Breaking up is hard to do, but some local experts think collaborative divorce could be a better way for some married couples to officially split. A group of area lawyers and mental health professionals started Up North Collaborative Divorce Professionals, which promotes a different model for divorce.
Article: http://www.record-eagle.com/northernliving/local_story_234195128.html
New Problem-Solving Courts, Graduations and Awards
Celebrating their 20th anniversary this month, the Problem-Solving Courts are in the news a lot. Here's a representative sample of the past few days. You may not want to read all these articles (as I just have) but choose at least one or two of them for your daily inspiration.
New Courts:
Howell, Michigan:
http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20090519/NEWS01/905190301/1002/rss01
Charleston, West Virginia:
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200905120704
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=9559
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=9599
Pasco County, Florida: