Two arrests for DUI led Jacob Pruett to Cobb County’s DUI Court docket. The accountability program helped him attain sobriety and his dream of turning into a lawyer.
MARIETTA, Ga. — Cobb County’s DUI Court is designed to present a second likelihood to individuals who have been charged a number of occasions with driving beneath the affect, whereas additionally holding them accountable.
A number of years in the past being sworn in to apply regulation in Georgia appeared unimaginable for Jacob Pruett. On Tuesday although Pruett, a latest graduate of this system, returned to Cobb’s DUI Court docket and never solely realized the impression of the second likelihood he acquired however achieved a lifelong dream.
Cobb County State Court docket Choose Eric Brewton, who oversees the county’s DUI Court docket, administered Pruett’s oath as he formally turned a lawyer. It came about through the DUI Court docket’s forty fifth commencement ceremony, a program Pruett not too long ago graduated from himself.
With out this system, he does not imagine he would have turn out to be a lawyer.
“No person graduates from regulation college and thinks a 12 months later they’ll have two DUIs,” stated Pruett throughout an interview with 11Alive.
In 2016 Pruett graduated from regulation college at Georgia State College, however then he hit a big roadblock on his approach to turning into a lawyer. A consuming downside he used to deal with stress at school and life led to 2 2017 arrests for driving beneath the affect in Cobb County in solely a matter of months.
His lawyer was capable of strike a plea deal for Pruett. He pleaded responsible in each instances and agreed to enter the DUI Court docket program.
“Once I was in a position to enter DUI Court docket that was very a lot my second likelihood,” Pruett stated. “I made a decision I might take all the things this system needed to supply me.”
Pruett stated in this system he discovered the particular person he was earlier than his alcohol habit.
DUI Court in Cobb County is for people assembly an inventory of eligibility necessities. The primary is that they’ve both been charged with driving beneath the affect twice up to now 10 years, 3 or extra occasions of their lifetime or as soon as but additionally have a historical past of reckless driving convictions.
Since October 2008, 479 out of 643 individuals admitted to this system have graduated.
Whereas the authorized blood alcohol restrict in Georgia is .08, the typical BAC upon the arrest of people that find yourself in this system is .207.
“All people deserves a second likelihood, everyone does,” stated Brewton. “That’s what we’re about right here within the court docket and I hope individuals perceive which you can go do something in life after you are by with this program.”
Brewton stated this system presents contributors much less jail time in change for them enrolling in intense counseling, taking an academic curriculum overlaying life and decision-making abilities, submitting to common drug and alcohol testing, in addition to supervision, assist, and therapy to achieve sobriety.
This system lasts a minimal of 12 months however most contributors spend greater than a 12 months finishing this system.
“Once they reside a sober life the very first thing that occurs is public security is elevated as a result of they may not be out on the roads driving inebriated,” Brewton stated. “However secondly and that is in all probability essentially the most rewarding a part of it for us is that their lives are restored.”
For Pruett, after his DUI arrests, turning into a lawyer seemed to be a misplaced dream. However after graduating from DUI Court docket together with his life circled he handed the Georgia Bar Examination which led to his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday.
“To swear in any lawyer to the Georgia Bar is a good honor, however swearing in Jacob is even a better honor simply to know that now we have seen his journey and we’re enthusiastic about his nice success,” Brewton stated.
Historically in Georgia, county Superior Court docket judges administer the oath for swearing-in ceremonies of recent legal professionals in Georgia.
Pruett although requested Brewton administer his oath in DUI Court docket as a symbolic full-circle second. Brewton then acquired particular permission to manage Pruett’s oath.
For Pruett, DUI Court docket turned what seemed to be a misplaced dream right into a second that was solely delayed.
“It has given me the second likelihood to be a lawyer,” Pruett stated. “To be one thing, if not in the identical means, that I’ve thought of being since I used to be a toddler.”
Now he hopes to make use of his private expertise and journey by the authorized system to apply regulation with empathy and hopefully assist others discover their second likelihood sooner or later.
