Published: January 07, 2009 11:13 am      

Pontotoc County Court receives video equipment

ADA — Judge Martha Kilgore was pleased to recently receive high tech equipment that was provided to Mental Health Services of Southern OK by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Robert Lee, LCSW Executive Director of MHSSO delivered the equipment to the court.

The equipment provides high definition, high speed video conferencing capability to the court which will reduce the number of trips made by the police and sheriff’s officers to Norman.

“This will save time and money plus reduce the wear and tear on city and county vehicles while allowing deputies to remain on duty in Pontotoc County,” Lee said. Judge Kilgore said it will also help those citizens who come to her court by eliminating the stressful drive back and forth from Ada to Norman for court hearings.

Before this equipment was available, anyone detained by the sheriff or police due to a mental illness and taken into emergency custody had to be taken to Norman for evaluation and treatment. After 72 hours they had to be brought back to Judge Kilgore’s court for a hearing to determine if court commitment was indicated. If it was, then the person was taken back to Norman, a one-hour trip each way. This practice has been a problem for many years with no easy solution, according to Kilgore.

Terri Goodwin, Ada area unit coordinator for MHSSO, said “being mentally ill is not a crime,” but due process protection requires the court be involved. This equipment is revolutionary and will be a great addition to the court and to the community with improved services and reduced demands on the police and sheriff, Kilgore said.