photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Personnel connected with Douglas County's three specialty courts pose Tuesday, May 12, 2026, with a tree planted in honor of the court programs on the lawn of the Douglas County Courthouse.

A trio of Douglas County judges and others associated with the county’s three specialty courts gathered Tuesday to celebrate National Treatment Court Month with a tree planting on the lawn in front of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Tim Shoulderblade, a 2024 graduate of the Drug Court program, told a noontime crowd how the specialty court had made a huge difference in his life, turning him from a path of addiction and hopelessness toward sobriety and a chance to get an education.

Shoulderblade, who grew up on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana, previously said he had his first sip of alcohol when he was 9 and started using drugs when he was 13. Run-ins with the law ensued, but Drug Court proved to be his ticket out of despair. During the program, he got his driver’s license back, gained employment and earned his GED. He later graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University in 2025 with an associate’s degree in social work and with plans to attend the University of Kansas to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

At a tree planting ceremony Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Drug Court graduate Tim Shoulderblade discusses how the specialty court changed his life. Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge is at left on the Douglas County Courthouse lawn.

Judge Stacey Donovan, who recently took over the Behavioral Health Court that recently retired Judge Sally Pokorny started 10 years ago, and Judge Amy Hanley, who presides over the Veterans Treatment Court, spoke briefly Tuesday about the power of the specialty courts to give offenders like Shoulderblade and many others second chances.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

From left, Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge; Behavioral Health Court Judge Stacey Donovan; Tim Shoulderblade, a Drug Court graduate; Veterans Court Judge Amy Hanley; and Drug Court Judge Mark Simpson participate in a tree planting in honor of Douglas County’s specialty courts on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

From left, Tim Shoulderblade, a Drug Court graduate; Drug Court Judge Mark Simpson; Veterans Court Judge Amy Hanley; Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge; and Behavioral Health Court Judge Stacey Donovan plant a tree in honor of Douglas County’s specialty courts on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, on the courthouse lawn.

The specialty courts generally consist of less formal proceedings in which offenders get one-on-one attention from a team of professionals and a judge, who help guide them to resources and better habits in hopes of mitigating recidivism. The programs can take around a year or more to finish, and if participants successfully complete them their criminal charges go away so they can make a fresh start.

Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge told the crowd that treatment courts also helped society as a whole.

“As many here can attest, treatment courts don’t just change outcomes,” she said. “They support families, strengthen communities and provide needed structure to build healthier and hopeful futures.”

Bruegge said the tree planting was very symbolic of participants’ journeys through the specialty courts, which she said provided nourishment for growth.

“Just as this tree will hopefully take root and strengthen over time, so do the individuals who commit themselves to the hard work of recovery,” she said. “May this tree stand as a visible reminder of hope and a belief that every participant has a potential to build a life filled with possibility and purpose.”

Judge Mark Simpson, who presides over the county’s Drug Court, was also on hand Tuesday to plant the Autumn Maple Blaze tree in the green area between the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center near the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Rosie, the Lawrence Police Department’s therapy dog often attends sessions of the various specialty courts in Douglas County. She was on hand Tuesday, May 12, 2026, for the tree planting.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A crowd gathered Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at a tree planting in front of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center to honor the three specialty courts of Douglas County.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

From left, Tim Shoulderblade, a Drug Court graduate; Drug Court Judge Mark Simpson; Veterans Court Judge Amy Hanley; Drug Court Officer Shannon Bruegge; and Behavioral Health Court Judge Stacey Donovan plant a tree in honor of Douglas County’s specialty courts on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, on the courthouse lawn.