Judge Robert Higgins plants the seed in the White Mountains Rotary Club and compares drug court to AA in Pinetop Arizona

Judge Robert Higgins in a talk given to the Rotary International White Mountains group in Pinetop, AZ 85935 makes the analogy that "Drug court works somewhat like Alcoholics Anonymous, he said, with regular meetings" and plants the seed of Alcoholics Anonymous in that rotary established in 1942 in Navajo County Arizona. Having a case load of upwards of 60 defendants before his bench a day one has to wonder how many, if any are mandated to AA in his judgements?

Speaking from experience

Posted: Wednesday, August 1, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 4:22 pm, Tue Jul 31, 2012.
by David Roberts — The Independent

Judge Robert Higgins speaks to the White Mountains Rotary Club about his experiences in the law July 21. He talked of starting out as a prosecutor in front of Judge Ryan Reinhold, right, who is now the Pinetop Constable. Higgins, recently appointed a Division Two Judge for Navajo County, spoke of his participation in the County's drug and early resolution courts, both of which he considers innovative.

Drug court works somewhat like Alcoholics Anonymous, he said, with regular meetings. All who participate start with 180 day suspended sentences, and if they transgress, they serve parts of those sentences. Early resolution works by having all pertinent facts in a case available before the first hearing, after which plea agreements are worked out and the case resolved within 30 days. This helps clear a calendar, said Higgins, that can have as many as 60 cases lined up on one day.

Source: http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_news/speaking-from-experience/arti...