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The Alcohol Abuse Deterrent Program ended yesterday when Superior Court Judge Joe V. Sutton refused to order defendants convicted of an alcohol-related crime to participate in the program.
The program, which recently completed its first year, will not continue because the judge is worried about the possible health risks associated with taking Antabuse. Antabuse makes users sick if they consume alcohol while on the drug.
Shortly after taking office Sutton expressed concern over ordering a person to ingest a chemical. Other authorities had also expressed concern with the program. Sutton yesterday rejected the first plea bargain he has heard contingent upon the AADP program.
The addition of Superior Court III at the beginning of the year resulted in the transfer of felony traffic offenses from Judge Rex Reed's Circuit Court. Reportedly two offenders made it through the plea agreement process last year, only to discover they would be unable to take the drug because of medical reasons.
Rejecting plea bargains that involve AADP could create a logjam in the court, according to Prosecutor David Kolbe. The prosecutor's office may have to resubmit AADP plea agreements to defendants who have already received them, Kolbe said.
