The courtroom’s seats are filled by two p.m. on Tuesday. Lawyers in suits discuss game plans with their clients in street clothes. But to Judge Jeffery Merrill (right), this is not a game. “This is not a negotiation, you will do as I say,” he tells a relapsing drug user trying to reduce her punishment before having the bailiff arrest her. This is the Onondaga County Drug Court, and Judge Merrill makes the rules.
The drug court is a comprehensive rehabilitation program designed to keep drug abusers clean and ensure their safe return to freedom. Those who follow the program are rewarded, those who fail are sent to federal prison. The drug court was founded in 1997, and Merrill has been the judge since 2000.
As the only judge of the drug court, Merrill handles numerous drug abusers with speed and often a sharp tongue. On Tuesday, he heard nearly fifty cases in around one and a half hours at the public safety building in downtown Syracuse.
Merrill is a blend of a judge and a father who knows you can do better. He hands out sentences but also praise or criticism. He welcomes newcomers and recognizes improvement by leading the courtroom in a round of applause. He also demands honesty. Drug abusers who admit relapses are given a second chance. Those who are caught lying receive a more stern punishment; a weekend visit to jail or as much as a 5-year prison sentence.
Merrill believes in his program. "It works, it really works," he said.
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