Tuesday, Judge Kevin P. Braig, of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas, released the following statement:
The Adult Recovery Court (ARC) of the Logan County Court of Common Pleas has earned final certification from the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Specialized Dockets.
To receive the certification, a local court submits a detailed application, undergoes a visit and report on its practices, and provides specific program materials in response to certification standards that went into effect in January 2014. The term of the certification is three years.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy congratulated Judge Kevin P. Braig and ARC Program Director Annette Deao for the ARC meeting the standards required for final certification.
“Specialized dockets offer an alternative to incarceration, and reflect a community’s belief in second chances,” said Chief Justice Kennedy. “They focus on people who are willing to work to overcome the personal challenges that led to their involvement in the justice system. The court and community partners work together to supervise treatment, training, and support, providing local solutions to local problems under leadership of the local court.”
Courts with specialized dockets address specific treatment needs of people who are charged with a variety of offenses using recommended best practices that focus on offender accountability, behavior change, and recovery. There are 255 certified dockets in Ohio.
The certification standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio and allow local courts to innovate and tailor programs to meet their community’s needs and resources.
The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members to advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts; the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts; and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.
“The participants in ARC and the treatment team have established a strong recovery community in Logan County, and I am excited to see it continue to grow,” Judge Braig said. “Mrs. Deao, compliance officers Jim Pleasant, Mandy Wilber, and Gary Ledford, and partners like the Logan County Jail, the Vivian Kunz House, the Recovery Zone, and their people have been instrumental in helping participants get on and stay on the path of recovery. We are all happy that the Supreme Court has recognized the ARC’s commitment to meeting the requirements of certification.”
The ARC received its certification from the Supreme Court just a few weeks after the Sundance Film Festival announced its acceptance of the motion picture “Union County,” which dramatizes the Court’s recovery docket. The film was shot in May during sessions of the ARC and at other locations in Logan County. It stars Will Poulter and Noah Centineo as brothers and participants in the recovery court. Deao, Judge Braig, and ARC participants appear in the picture.
“It is Annette’s and Director Adam Meeks’ movie,” Judge Braig said. “Annette and Adam collaborated to bring their vision of recovery to the big screen. Adam told me it was a ‘thrill of a lifetime’ to have it accepted for screening at Sundance. Annette has done so much for Logan County for decades. To see her life’s work turned into a motion picture brings great joy to everyone who is involved in the ARC. This movie would not exist without her.”
The Sundance Film Festival reportedly received over 16,000 films for consideration and selected 160 for screening at the festival, which will run from January 22, 2026, to February 1, 2026, in Park City, Utah.
