Drug court moves into new era; founding judge honored

Westmoreland County’s drug court has entered a new era.

Its two founding judges, who have presided over the program since its inception a decade ago, have now relinquished their roles in the program that has seen 94 graduates.

Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio announced Thursday the end of her role with drug court.

“It’s been 10 years and I felt like it was time for a new perspective to come into the program,” Bilik-DeFazio said Thursday, following a ceremony to honor six more drug court graduates.

For some, drug court is a jail diversionary program. For others it can help addicts reach sobriety and potentially avoid future brushes with the law. The presiding judges serve as cheerleaders, guides and disciplinarians for participants.

“It takes a toll on your heart and after a while I thought it was time to take a step back for my own personal growth. I remember when we were in training sessions, we were told it would have just a 33% to 35% success rate, and I thought that doesn’t seem very promising. But when you see the folks who go through it, even if it’s just one person who graduates, it was so worth it,” Bilik-DeFazio said.

Drug court administrator Bill Shifko said the program has a current enrollment of 58 participants. It has a capacity of 60, with two judges sharing the caseload, conducting regular sessions in the courtroom and overseeing intensive supervision of participants. This includes counseling sessions and drug testing during the course of the two-year program.

For the first time since the covid pandemic, drug court is nearly at capacity, Shifko said.

Drug court officials presented Bilik-DeFazio with the Anthony “Tony” Marcocci Award of Excellence for her founding and contributing work with the program. The award was created and named after Marcocci, a longtime county detective who specializes in drug cases and later became a key member of the program in 2021.

“She’s been so perfect for this program in so many ways, and she’s taken so many people under her wing,” Marcocci said.

Westmoreland County President Judge Christopher Feliciani, another founder of drug court, was given the award last year when he withdrew from the program.

Judge Scott Mears replaced Feliciani. Bilik-DeFazio’s drug court docket will be presided over by Judge Michael Stewart II, who transferred to criminal court earlier this year.

“I was sitting in drug court when she first told her team she was stepping down, and there was an audible gasp in the courtroom. Drug court is hard work, I know that and I know graduation is only a first step, not the last,” Stewart said.

Mears said he and Stewart have big shoes to fill.

“It’s kind of overwhelming to jump in where they left off. They got this started and they were real trailblazers,” Mears said.