MOSES LAKE — Ricky Boehler has stood before his share of judges in his time. But Wednesday he was laughing, smiling and sharing pizza with one rather than worrying about sentencing. 

Boehler was the 14th to graduate from Grant County’s Community Court, a special program that gives frequent offenders, especially those struggling with substance abuse, a way to get off the criminal justice system merry-go-round and onto a path that gives them hope, confidence and – most of all – a future. 

“It's a different type of court,” Judge Brian Gwinn said. “It is a specialty court. We call it a therapeutic court. Our particular name is Community Court because we're here to serve the community. It's about making people about people and giving them the services and the resources they need to progress rather than going backwards.” 

The program comes in four phases, starting out intensive and progressing through landmarks like getting a job, returning to school, getting their licenses back and taking whatever steps are necessary to get their lives on track. 

Boehler wasn’t originally considered a candidate for Community Court, he said, due to a long criminal history in Idaho. 

“I’m a nine-time convicted felon,” Boehler said. “I’ve done 13 years. I just did eight flat and was released in 2023. I was doing great, and then had a relapse (and) got a DUI.” 

While he was awaiting trial on the DUI, he asked his lawyer, Tracy Poulos, about the program, and she told him his chances were slim at best. 

“When I was first assigned to Ricky, we had a long talk about his journey through the criminal justice system, and it had been long before he ever came into my realm,” she said. “I was ... able to reach out to Ricky's defense attorney in Latah County (Idaho) and talk with her about getting him into this program, because … he was very concerned that they were going to send him back to prison. And what he really wanted to do was to demonstrate that he was dedicated was dedicated to his sobriety.” 

Boehler’s plan was simple, he said: he would show up to Community Court every week and keep lobbying to be accepted in the program.  

“I just kept coming in and coming and coming for about three months,” he said. “I came every time there was court. (Poulos) was like, well, I've talked with the team and I don't know if you're gonna get in. I'm like, well, I'm going to keep going until the judge tells me that.” 

A Community Court participant stays in the program for at least a year, Gwinn said, following whatever treatment recommendations – sobriety being an important one – they’ve been given and checking in regularly with the court. Before Boehler’s graduation ceremony, Gwinn spent most of an hour talking with participants in the program, some online and some in person, to see how they were improving. Their team of counselors and community court specialists chimed in with their assessments as well. Several shared their stories of succeeding one step at a time, and were rewarded with a small box of candy from the judge. Daniel Clark, attending online from Spokane, said he had had a visit from one of his daughters and another was set to visit the following week. 

“She’s bringing her new boyfriend,” he said. “She’s kind of scared, but I’m not going to give him that talk. I’ll just give him that look.” 

Clark was working hard to get his health care ID in order so he could find a job and support himself without public assistance. 

“Right now I’m getting geared up for winter because, as you now, it snows like crazy here and next week we’re expecting snow,” Clark said. “So if worse comes to worst I’ll walk up and down these streets with a rake and ask people if they want their yards raked. Whatever it takes, because I’ve been homeless for too many years and I deserve better than that.” 

Another participant, who was in his first week, admitted he’d had a relapse, and Gwinn assigned him four hours community service. 

“Normally it’s more, but you were honest about it,” Gwinn said. “Honesty is the key to getting through this … because if you’re honest, you stand a chance.” 

Those who have finished the program are afforded a chance to help others, through an alumni group that supports the people who are still in Community Court. One was David Chapman, who was the seventh graduate of Community Court, he said. 

“We schedule meetings, and talk about how we’re going to help participants and … just keep the progress going,” Chapman said. 

At the end of Boehler’s last session as a participant, Jeremiah Jensen of the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office formally requested that Boehler’s DUI charges be dismissed. Then Boehler, Jensen and Community Court Specialist Manny Garcia walked to a shredder and fed the complaint in. 

Before adjourning for celebration with pizzas that had been delivered at the beginning of the session, Gwinn turned the floor over to anyone who wanted to speak. Boehler’s mother, Melanie Boehler, choked up a little as she spoke. 

“Ricky’s had challenges all his life,” she said. “One of the things I have to say to him is, it’s OK to be successful. It’s OK to succeed. You do deserve it. He had to learn to believe in himself. You can’t go any further in this life if you don’t believe in yourself. I’m proud of you, son. Don’t let anything derail you.” 

Ricky Boehler said he’s going to start participating in the alumni group to help the ones who come after him. 

“It's exactly what I needed to change my life around,” he said. “I (was) a career criminal with little to no regard for other people and their stuff. … And now here I am, giving back to the community. I have a job. I'm no longer working paycheck to paycheck. I started the program with a sub-500 credit score. My credit score is 755 right now, and I just got pre-approved to buy a house, so I'm saving. It's amazing what one year of growth in this program has done for me.” 

    Ricky Boehler, flanked by Jeremiah Jensen, left, of the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office and Community Court Specialist Manny Garcia, prepares to shred the DUI complaint that would have sent him back to prison. The complaint was dismissed upon Boehler’s graduation from Community Court Wednesday.
  

    Ricky Boehler becomes the 14th Community Court graduate to sign the banner at Grant County District Court Wednesday.