In June, 13 people graduated from Ingham County's sobriety court.
Alongside the tens of thousands of mid-Michigan school graduates last month, a handful attended a different kind of ceremony. They were the 13 graduates of Ingham County's sobriety court.
Sobriety court is a rigorous program that mainly benefits people convicted of an offense which involves alcohol, like DWI. An interdisciplinary team oversees a regimen including mandatory drug testing, treatment and, typically, participation in Alcoholics Anonymous.
In the 11 years since its inception, more than 400 residents have graduated from sobriety court.
Current State talks with Ingham County 55th District Court Judge Donald Allen and Shundra Cheeks, a 2015 graduate of the program.