October 02, 2024

CACJ Announces the 2024 Annual Award Winners

The Council of Accountability Court Judges Announces Award Recipients at Annual Training Conference

Athens, GA --- The Council of Accountability Court Judges (CACJ) announced the 2024 recipients of the prestigious Star Awards, Judge Tommy Day Wilcox Award, Judge Stephen S. Goss Award, Data Driven Award, and Model Court Recognition at the awards ceremony at the annual training conference on Monday, September 16, 2024. 

Star Awards

CACJ distinguishes accountability court professionals across the state for their hard work and dedication to the programs they serve. Award recipients are nominated by their fellow team members, and CACJ selects and recognizes one person from each team role to receive the Star Award. 

This year’s Star Award recipients are:

*Judge: Honorable Tom Cole, Chatham County Anchor Court

*Coordinator: Melissa Johnson, Cherokee Judicial Circuit Drug Court 

*Case Manager: Heather King, Colquitt County Accountability Court 

*Prosecutor: Robert Gardner, Dawson County Treatment Court 

*Defense Attorney: Jake Shapiro, Hall County Drug Court 

*Probation Officer: Matt Kramer, Gwinnett County State Court Veterans Court 

*Treatment Provider: Yolanda “Faye” McClain, Cobb County DUI Court 

*Family Treatment Court Attorney: Kathleen Devine, Hall County Family Treatment Court 

*DFCS Case Manager: Marty Mapp, Coweta County Family Treatment Court

*CASA Advocate: Jamiallah Jackson, Atlantic Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court

*Peer Support Specialist: Mark Harrell, Colquitt County Accountability Court 

*Law Enforcement Officer: Jason Reeves, Lowndes County DUI Court 

Judge Tommy Day Wilcox Leadership Award

Judge Tommy Day Wilcox was the first accountability court judge in Georgia, and he presided over the Macon Drug Court. In his honor, the Judge Tommy Day Wilcox Award goes to the STAR Award nominee that received the highest overall score. 

This year’s winner is the Honorable Currie Mingledorff of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts, which he implemented and has served as presiding judge for 14 years. Under his leadership, the Piedmont Circuit was designated a Mental Health Model Court. Those who nominated Judge Mingledorff said, “He motivates participants to strive to be the best version of themselves and treats all of them with the utmost respect”. It was said that he teaches his teams to focus on caring for the people in the programs and not the numbers. Judge Mingledorff will retire at the end of this year, but his team calls him the GOAT (greatest of all time) and considers him a legend that will be hard to replace. 

Judge Stephen S. Goss Award

In memory of the late Honorable Stephen S. Goss, the CACJ created an award to honor his life and legacy as a nationally recognized expert on mental health. In 2002, Judge Goss founded the Dougherty Superior Court Mental Health & Substance Abuse Treatment Program. It served as one of four learning sites for mental health courts as designated by the United States Bureau of Justice Assistance and was the first mental health court created in the state of Georgia. His contribution to the field of mental health courts is felt nationwide, as well as in Georgia. 

Recognized for her outstanding contributions in the field of mental health courts, Brooke Foley, clinician for the Chatham County Juvenile Mental Health Court – SPARC, is the recipient of the 2024 Judge Stephen S. Goss Award. Ms. Foley is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has served on the juvenile mental health court team for nine years. Those who nominated her said not only is she a great leader, but she is also a team player who lends a helping hand any way she can. She is known to work tirelessly to connect with families and hold the accountability court policies to standard. As Ms. Foley’s vision for what the program is and can be is admirable, CACJ is pleased to award her the Stephen S. Goss Award.

Data Driven Award

CACJ’s Data and Research Committee created the Data Driven Award to reward programs who fully utilize data and their case management systems to improve program and participant outcomes. Since data is instrumental to self-evaluation and for sharing program outcomes with community partners, stakeholders, and legislators, the Data Driven Award reinforces the importance of strong data collection. The Data Driven Award provides both recognition and up to $15,000 of financial support for continued program evaluation. 

The winner of the 2024 Data Driven Award is the Cobb County DUI Court. Judge Eric Brewton and Coordinator Darcy Kamau have proven to use their data to guide their decision making in terms of program policy and procedures, especially when addressing proximal and distal goals for participants. They use analysis of incentive matrix data to ensure fairness, which is in keeping with the obligation to rely on objective standards, and test program efficacy as recommended by All Rise. As data entry is a team effort, the Cobb County DUI Court was able to use their data to substantiate the need for a building in which to conduct treatment. They are an example of how to effectively utilize the data gleaned from their case management system and make it work for their program.

Model Court Recognition

The goal of Georgia’s Accountability Court Model Court program, supported by CACJ, is to recognize the great work of accountability courts across the state, as well as identify strong programs that may serve as mentors for other courts. Programs identified as Model Courts are those that have met and exceeded adherence to Georgia’s Standards as dictated by strong performance on certification and peer review processes.

CACJ is proud to recognize the 2024 Model Courts:

Family Treatment Courts

*Atlantic Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court, Judge Linnie Darden, III

*Chatham County Anchor Court, Judge Tom Cole

*Coweta County Family Treatment Court, Judge Joseph Wyant, Jr.

*Douglas County Family Treatment Court, Judge Michelle Harrison

*Hall County Family Treatment Court, Judge Alison Toller

*Muscogee County Family Drug Court, Judge Andrew Dodgen

*Western Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court, Judge Amanda Trimble & Judge Kamau Hull

Veterans Courts

*Appalachian Judicial Circuit Veterans Court, Judge Brenda Weaver

*Cherokee County Veterans Treatment Court, Judge A. Dee Morris

*Clayton County Veterans Treatment Court, Judge Robert Mack, Jr.

*Coweta Judicial Circuit Veterans Treatment Court, Judge John Simpson

*Fulton County Veterans Court, Judge Ural Glanville

*Henry County Veterans Treatment Court, Judge Pandora Palmer

*Newton County Veterans Treatment Court, Judge Chevada McCamy

*Savannah-Chatham County Drug Court with Veterans Division, Judge James Bass

There are 189 certified accountability court programs in Georgia, and the mission of the CACJ is to provide a unified framework that promotes and improves the quality, accessibility, and administration of accountability courts with a vision to make accountability courts work for all Georgians. Established in 2015, the CACJ fulfills this mission through certification, standards, peer review, data collection, training, treatment fidelity monitoring, and grants.

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