# Drug court *The Carver County, Minnesota, Drug Treatment Court: a problem-solving court for high-risk, high-need non-violent substance-abuse offenders, launched in 2020 on federal grant funding.* In Carver County, [[Minnesota]], the drug court, which the county calls its Drug Treatment Court, opened on January 1, 2020.[^1][^2] It was funded by a $500,000 implementation grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's [[Bureau of Justice Assistance]] (BJA), for which the county applied on April 16, 2019.[^1] In fiscal year 2022 the BJA awarded the Carver County Drug Court a second grant, a $750,000 Category 2 Enhancement Grant. Together the two awards total $1.25 million in federal money.[^3][^1] The record places the stated case for the court beside what was built. The application cited the county's own 2018 figures: eight drug overdose deaths, up from two in 2017, and 114 gross misdemeanor and felony drug cases prosecuted that year.[^1] The court was sized for 25 participants in a 16-month program.[^1][^2] The 2022 award was made to "increase capacity to serve an expanded network of individuals." It extended the court to pre- and post-adjudication cases and to post-conviction probationers at risk of incarceration.[^3] Judge Michael Wentzell presides over the drug court. He also sentenced the defendants in the Earl Olander murder case and administered the oath of office to the [[county attorney]] in 2019.[^3][^4][^5] Two at-issue pairs in this record concern the court. The first concerns that concentration of roles. The second concerns the use of applicant-supplied figures to justify the grant.[^3][^1] The project's dossier reports that it located no audit finding, grant clawback, or compliance action against either Carver County specialty court. That is a finding of the project's search, not of any agency. The 2022 award is publicly posted by the BJA.[^3] ## Who - **Presiding judge.** The BJA's 2022 award record lists Hon. Michael Wentzell as judge and Andrew Lynes as coordinator.[^3] - **Other roles of the judge.** - A Carver County news release dated January 8, 2019, reports that Judge Michael D. Wentzell administered the oath of office to County Attorney Mark Metz, along with the newly elected [[sheriff]] and two commissioners.[^5] - In the Olander case, Wentzell imposed 450-month sentences with upward departures, as reported by the [[Star Tribune]].[^4] The sentence was later affirmed on appeal.[^6] - **County attorney.** As a candidate in October 2018, Metz told the *Chanhassen Villager*, "While I do not have an opponent in this election." He listed priorities "including veterans court, drug court and diversion programs."[^7] When announcing the 2019 grant application, he made the case for drug courts as a model.[^1] ## What - **The court.** It is a problem-solving court for high-risk, high-need non-violent substance-abuse offenders. It had a stated capacity of 25 participants and a program length of 16 months at the time of the 2019 application.[^1][^2] - **The 2022 Enhancement Grant.** Its stated purposes were to: - expand capacity; - operate the court as both a pre-adjudication and a post-adjudication court; - extend eligibility to post-conviction probationers at risk of incarceration; and - hire a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist.[^3] - **The county's other specialty court.** The drug court is the second specialty court in the county. The first is the Carver County Veterans Court, dating to 2014. The county describes it as "a problem-solving court that is intended to serve veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders." Its partners include the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and volunteer veteran mentors. Eligibility is determined case by case by the First Judicial District Veterans Court team.[^8] ## When - **October 12, 2018.** Candidate Metz names drug court among his priorities.[^7] - **January 8, 2019.** County release reports Judge Wentzell administered the county attorney's oath.[^5] - **April 16, 2019.** Carver County submits its application for the $500,000 BJA implementation grant.[^1] - **January 1, 2020.** The drug court launches.[^1][^9] - **September 30, 2022.** Projected end of the prior implementation grant, per the BJA's 2022 award record.[^3] - The *Chanhassen Villager* reported a 48-month grant period at the time of application.[^1] - **FY2022.** The BJA makes Award 15PBJA-22-GG-03955-DGCT, a $750,000 Category 2 Enhancement Grant, under the FY22 BJA Adult Drug Court Discretionary program.[^3] ## Where - The BJA award record gives the Carver County Drug Court's address as 604 E. 4th St., [[Chaska]], MN 55318-2102.[^3] - In the region: - Dakota County announced a veterans treatment court collaboration with Carver County in January 2022.[^10] - By 2024 the First Judicial District housed a veterans treatment court serving Scott and Dakota counties.[^11] ## Why - **The stated purpose.** Metz said that "Drug courts have proven to be an effective and novel approach to address the serious problem of substance abuse and crime." He supported the application with the county's 2018 overdose and drug-case figures.[^1] - **The documented outputs.** The record shows: - $1.25 million in two federal awards; - a 25-participant, 16-month program; and - a 2022 expansion to post-adjudication and post-conviction cases.[^1][^3] - **The limit of the record.** It shows the stated purpose and the outputs. It does not establish any further reason. ## How - Under the 2022 award, the court operates as both a pre-adjudication and a post-adjudication court. It also reaches post-conviction probationers at risk of incarceration.[^3] - The award funds a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist position.[^3] ## How much - **$500,000:** the BJA implementation grant applied for in 2019.[^1] - **$750,000:** the FY2022 Category 2 Enhancement Grant.[^3] - **$1.25 million:** the combined federal funding of the two awards.[^1][^3] ## How many - **Deaths and cases.** In 2018 the county reported eight drug overdose deaths, up from two in 2017, and 114 gross misdemeanor and felony drug cases prosecuted. These figures are as cited in the 2019 grant announcement.[^1] - **Capacity.** The court had a capacity of 25 participants at the time of the 2019 application. The 2022 award was made to increase capacity.[^1][^3] ## In the at-issue record **First pair: concentration of roles.** The first pair sets out that one judge filled three roles: - imposed the county's landmark murder sentences;[^4] - administered the county attorney's oath of office;[^5] and - presides over the drug court.[^3] The pair attributes this to a county justice system small enough that the same few names recur across roles. The project files this pair against the March 2026 White House presidential action establishing a task force to eliminate fraud. Its stated reason is that role concentration in a small jurisdiction removes the separation the design assumes.[^12] **Second pair: applicant-supplied figures.** The second pair concerns the 2018 figures used to justify the court: eight overdose deaths, up from two, and 114 drug cases prosecuted.[^1] The pair notes that the office reporting the case count is the office that cited it in applying for the grant for a court meant to reduce that count. The project files this pair against the March 2025 White House presidential action on protecting the nation's bank account against fraud, waste and abuse. Its stated reason is applicant-supplied predicate data with no independent verifier.[^13] **Limits.** The pack does not establish whether either arrangement affected any individual case. Neither pair alleges misconduct. ## Notes [^1]: Chanhassen Villager, *Carver County to pursue federal drug court grant* (n.d., 2019) — $500,000 DOJ/BJA implementation grant; application April 16, 2019; 48-month period; launch January 1, 2020; capacity 25; 16 months; Metz quotation; 2018 overdose and case figures. https://www.swnewsmedia.com/chanhassen_villager/news/carver-county-to-pursue-federal-drug-court-grant/article_0d68c4ae-57de-5f19-a0c1-49a3f4487983.html [^2]: Carver County, *Drug Treatment Court* (county page, n.d.) — the county's drug treatment court program. https://www.carvercountymn.gov/departments/court-services-probation/drug-treatment-court [^3]: Bureau of Justice Assistance, *Award 15PBJA-22-GG-03955-DGCT, FY22 BJA Adult Drug Court Discretionary, Category 2 Enhancement Grant* (FY2022) — $750,000 to Carver County Drug Court, 604 E. 4th St., Chaska; prior grant projected to end September 30, 2022; key personnel Wentzell and Lynes; purposes. https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/awards/15pbja-22-gg-03955-dgct [^4]: Star Tribune, *One defendant pleads guilty in beating death of Earl Olander* (n.d.) — pleas and 450-month sentences with upward departure by Judge Michael Wentzell. https://www.startribune.com/one-defendant-pleads-guilty-in-beating-death-of-earl-olander-both-return-to-court-next-week-for-sent/377329231 [^5]: Carver County, *Sheriff Kamerud, Attorney Metz, Commissioners Workman and Lynch All Sworn In* (Jan. 8, 2019) — oath administered by Judge Michael D. Wentzell. https://www.carvercountymn.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2842/18 [^6]: Belle Plaine Herald, *Courts affirm 37-year prison sentence for the 2015 murder of Earl Olander* (n.d.) — appellate affirmance of the sentence. http://www.belleplaineherald.com/news/courts-affirm-37-year-prison-sentence-for-the-2015-murder-of-earl-olander/article_1aa355f2-cc75-11e8-80c7-8b419c1f6e09.html [^7]: Chanhassen Villager, *Q&A with County Attorney candidate Mark Metz* (Oct. 12, 2018) — unopposed candidacy; priorities including veterans court, drug court and diversion programs. https://www.swnewsmedia.com/chanhassen_villager/news/election/q-a-with-county-attorney-candidate-mark-metz/article_79f2879a-270b-50a6-aaf2-86560ab1d1b9.html [^8]: Carver County, *Veterans Court* (county page, n.d.) — description, partners and eligibility of the Carver County Veterans Court. https://www.carvercountymn.gov/departments/court-services-probation/veterans-court [^9]: Star Tribune, *Metro briefs: Carver County to launch drug court next month* (n.d.) — announcement of the drug court's launch. https://www.startribune.com/metro-briefs-carver-county-to-launch-drug-court-next-month/565929882 [^10]: Hastings Star Gazette, *Dakota County announces collaboration for Veterans Treatment Court with Carver County* (Jan. 2022) — Dakota–Carver collaboration. https://www.hastingsstargazette.com/news/dakota-county-announces-collaboration-for-veterans-treatment-court-with-carver-county/article_a338de9e-8047-11ec-b50f-af271089c2e0.html [^11]: Jordan Independent, *District to house treatment court for veterans in Scott, Dakota counties* (2024) — First Judicial District veterans treatment court. https://www.swnewsmedia.com/jordan_independent/news/district-to-house-treatment-court-for-veterans-in-scott-dakota-counties/article_1032ca8c-dfc3-11ee-a9ed-db19713051d9.html [^12]: The White House, *Presidential action establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (March 2026) — the federal action the project uses as the anchor for at-issue pair AI-Carver-018. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/ [^13]: The White House, *Presidential action on protecting America's bank account against fraud, waste, and abuse* (March 2025) — the federal action the project uses as the anchor for at-issue pair AI-Carver-019. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/