Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Here Comes the Judge

Rotarians and visitors gathered on Monday, December 1 at the Holiday Inn for the 3720th meeting of St. George Rotary. Ray Robinson lead the SGR Choir in a rousing rendition of "You’re A Grand Old Flag!" Lee Warren ("the flag man") invited members to follow him in the Pledge of Allegiance and Durant McArthur asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal. Shar Heitkotter conducted a very abbreviated Horseplay with Jack Petersen collecting fines in support of Coins for Kids.

Announcements: Representatives from the two teams participating in the Jr. Rotary Bowl were on hand to introduce team members from Desert Hills Middle School and Hurricane Middle School.

Congratulations to David Clark, newly appointed Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives. Dave appointment is the first in more than thirty years a representative from southern Utah has held this high position.

Richard Isom reminded members of SGR to order their DRB souvenirs, sign up for the golf tournament and collect their tickets for the 23rd Army Band Concert and the DRB Banquet where Rod Zundel will emcee and Phil Tuckett will be the keynote speaker.

Program: Jeannine Holt introduced Judge James Shumate from the 5th District Court who shared his insight on judicial proceedings as well as issues relating to drug use in the community. According to the Judge, the new courthouse came as "a really sweet deal . . . a perfect coming together! The city needed more space, so they took the current courthouse. West Elementary School was outdated and needed to be replaced, so the courts got the Tabernacle property and the school district was deeded property by the city. It was a ‘win-win’ all the way around!" The current courthouse includes four small courtrooms, but only one is designed for jury trials. "We have seen some high profile cases in the past year or two which has tied up all available space and made for a whole lot of ‘hurry up and wait’. The 5th District Court sees about 10,000 cases a year, so we have to keep things moving," noted the judge. The new $29 million building will include 8 courtrooms, including one designated for federal court. "Hate and discontent is my stock-in-trade," stated Shumate who also noted "case fillings are rising as economic indicators fall!"

Shumate also oversees Drug Court which has a 22% recidivism rate compared to Purgatory Correctional Facilities 82% recidivism. About 1/3 are heroin addicts. "We haven’t had a case involving a meth lab in about two years because our addicts have switched over to heroin which is cheaper and freely available in Las Vegas - though it is absolutely fatal if abused," notes the judge. Over the past 9 years, more than 360 have graduated from Drug Court which costs approximately $4000 annually compared to $50,000 for a year in prison. "This is a very effective and worthwhile program. We are saving lives one human being at a time," states Shumate.

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