Dana Fortinberry

What is your position on smoke-free Michigan or smoke-free Oakland County (depending on office sought)?

The Michigan Canons of Judicial Ethics prevent me from taking a public position on a legislative issue or ballot initiative.

What is your position on the medical marijuana ballot initiative?

The Michigan Canons of Judicial Ethics prevent me from taking a public position on a legislative issue or ballot initiative.

How would you address the issue of underage drinking?

As 52-2 District Judge, young persons convicted for the first time of alcohol and/or controlled substance offenses are ordered to serve a period of strict probation. These offenders submit to regular alcohol and drug testing, complete mandatory substance abuse education, attend a MADD Victim Impact Panel, complete substance abuse outpatient counseling when abuse/addiction factors are indicated, are required to attend school and/or hold employment and perform mandatory community service. In an effort to give students the tools they need to avoid criminal behavior, including alcohol and drug offenses, I also developed a Court in School program. Twice per year, I take the court to both the Clarkston and Lakeland High School auditoriums, where students are able to observe an actual day in court with very real cases being adjudicated right there at the school. I also work closely with the Clarkston High School SADD Club to bring a car crashed by a drunk driver to the school for display during prom week, encouraging students to think about the consequences of drinking and driving.

What is your position on using liquor license revenue as a way to generate additional revenue for the state and local municipalities?

The Michigan Canons of Judicial Ethics prevent me from taking a public position on a legislative issue or ballot initiative.

What have you done to support substance abuse prevention in your community?

In addition to my programs aimed at stopping underage drug and alcohol use as outlined above, I also founded a tremendously successful Sobriety Court Program that changes lives as it gets drunk drivers off the road, thereby protecting the families of our community. Adopting the therapeutic justice model in implementing strict judicial and probationary oversight of repeat drunk driving offenders to guide them to a life of sobriety, the Program puts an end to the revolving door of justice often experienced by addicted offenders. In an independent evaluation conducted in 2007 by the State Court Administrator’s Office, the 52-2 District Court Sobriety Court Program was found to be a model among drug and sobriety court programs in the State, boasting a graduation rate of more than 85% and a recidivism rate of just 8% [compared to a national average of 33% for repeat drunk driving offenders].