Merciful Judge

Guest: Douglas Hedger, JD, Chief Municipal Judge, Henderson Municipal Court Courtrooms in cities and counties across the country are full of offenders who have problems with addiction or mental illness that drive a cycle of crime. Over and over again, judges will see the same faces standing before them, the penalties and jail time getting tougher with each offense. The cost to taxpayers only goes up, with little hope the offender will manage to get clean and stay out of trouble. At a certain point, Henderson Municipal Court Judge Douglas Hedger had seen enough. In 2008, he created a special program designed to help certain repeat offenders who are mired in addiction, mental illness and joblessness. It’s called the Assistance in Breaking the Cycle—or ABC Court.