January 2021 | Vol. 7 Iss. 01
FREE WEST VALLEY CITY MENTAL HEALTH COURT WORKS TO TURNAROUND LIVES By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
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or the first time in a long time, Kody Rushton is happy. The 36-year-old West Valley City resident has a way to go to get his life exactly where he wants it, but right now it’s all about progress and he has made plenty of it so far. It was about a year ago that Rushton was arrested for domestic violence for punching a friend of his mother. “She got scared and called the cops on me. I knocked down her TV and broke a glass,” he said. He readily admits he threw the punch, but says he didn’t mean to connect with it. It was the second time he had a physical altercation with the same guy. Before that, Rushton did three terms in prison for crimes stemming from a methamphetamine addiction that started when he was 18. He could have had his case sent to justice or district court, pleaded or been found guilty, served his penalty, and gotten out to likely commit another crime. Especially with depression, anxiety and anger management issues that impacted his ability to make good decisions. Instead, Rushton had an offer from police, attorneys and West Valley City Justice Court Judge Clint Gilmore—go through Mental Health Court and try to get lasting, life-changing help. He accepted it.
Mental Health Court was launched in March 2018 as a special judicial process within the West Valley City Justice Court to provide intensive, court-supervised, mental-health treatment for offenders who commit misdemeanor-level crimes like drug possession and abuse, assault and domestic violence. It is a partnership between police, who have the first contact with the perpetrators, mental health professionals, and the court to help reduce recidivism, jail populations and, most importantly, get people help for the mental health problems that are often the root cause of their law breaking. “We needed some kind of avenue to assist individuals violating the law to find a resource to get treatment and help for their mental illness instead of sending them down the same cycle they’d been dealing with,” said Sgt. Scott Arnold, who oversees the West Valley City Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team. They are still held accountable for the crimes they commit but at the same time “get help to become more productive members of society,” he said. About 25 to 30 people a year have their cases heard in Mental Health Court. Each one learns Three stints in prison, drug addiction, domestic violence incidents and mental health problems prompted and observes what the court is about and then deKody Rushton to enter West Valley City Mental Health Court to attempt to turn his life around. (Darrell cides if they want to participate or have their cas- Kirby/City Journals) Continued page 5
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