Diversion and Drug Court

Most people think that when someone is charged with a misdemeanor or indicted for a felony that there are only two possible resolutions: (1) The person will plead or be found guilty, or (2) the person will be acquitted of the charges. That is not entirely true. Ohio has a couple of alternatives that an individual can pursue.

Some clients are eligible for Intervention in Lieu of Conviction (“ILC”). In short, ILC basically allows a person who committed a crime due to their addiction to drugs or alcohol to receive treatment for their substance abuse problems instead of a conviction and prison time. But, ILC is not available for all felony defendants, and a given defendant must first be found to qualify for ILC. If the Court accepts the ILC it will then prescribe a particular treatment program for the defendant and suspend the pending criminal action. If the defendant does what the Court demands as far as the treatment goes, the Court will dismiss the charges and the defendant can avoid a conviction altogether.

The second possibility is something called a Diversion. Diversion is similar to ILC in that if the defendant is accepted for diversion and completes the program, then ultimately he or she avoids being convicted of a felony. The defendant is Adiverted out of the criminal court system and given a chance to accomplish certain goals set by the program. If the defendant successfully completes the diversion program, then the Court will dismiss the charges. However, like ILC, only certain charges and certain types of criminal defendants are eligible for a diversion program.

Attorney Scott A. Rubenstein has extensive experience with both the Diversion Programs and the ILC programs in Southern Ohio. He can help assess eligibility, and he can assist the steering of your case to the appropriate court/ program.

If you have been charged with a serious criminal offense, and if you would like to pursue ILC or Diversion, do not hesitate to call The Law Offices of Scott A. Rubenstein at (513) 241-7460. He can evaluate your case and advise you of your legal options.