Judge Robert P. Ziemian
Presiding Judge, South Boston District Court, Boston, Massachusetts
Inducted into Stanley M. Goldstein Drug Court Hall of Fame

Judge Robert P. Ziemian, founder of the first Drug Court in South Boston, Massachusetts was inducted into the Stanley M. Goldstein Hall of Fame during NADCP's 9th Annual Conference, held in Reno, Nevada, May 15-17, 2003.
As an Associate Justice of a busy urban court, Judge Robert P. Ziemian observed first hand the destruction of homes, families, and businesses in a hard-working community plagued with a growing substance abuse problem. Despite his reputation for sentencing criminal defendants to often-lengthy periods of incarceration, Judge Ziemian dared to try something new.

In 1995, Judge Ziemian established, in Dorchester District Court, Massachusetts' first Drug Court. Its success was impressive and had far-reaching effects. Since starting the first drug court, Justice Ziemian has founded or assisted in founding more than thirty Drug Courts in Massachusetts and the New England states. His efforts have directly resulted in the creation of drug courts in four of the five other New England states: Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The Ziemian Model, which is a collaborative paradigm, has won recognition as a Mentor Drug Court by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). The Ziemian Model features three key components:

  • Redirecting existing court resources and personnel to the drug court;
  • Creating drug courts with no state budget line item whatsoever;
  • Persuading Chief Justices, Regional Justices, Chief Probation Offices, Clerk-Magistrates, health care professionals, defense attorneys, prosecutors, police and community groups to work in a collaborative fashion, despite a traditional and risk-averse judicial environment.
Judge Ziemian continues to educate others about the benefits of drug courts. He has trained and been consulted by hundreds of judges and court personnel from both local and national levels. He has lectured and provided technical assistance on behalf of NADCP and the United States Department of Justice. He has refined drug court standards and training. He has selflessly donated his energies to assist any drug court in its planning, implementation or operation.

By his leadership, clear vision and affable personality, Judge Ziemian has persuaded hundreds of judges and court personnel to accept this dramatically different way of combating drug abuse. The Ziemian model endures and serves as a compelling example of what determination, ingenuity and persuasion can do.

We salute Judge Ziemian on this occasion of induction into the Stanley M. Goldstein Drug Court Hall of Fame.

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