Public Defender Yvonne Smith Segars is a pioneer in the New Jersey Drug Court movement.

A nationally recognized expert, Ms. Segars served as the Drug Court Public Defender in Essex County while serving as First Assistant Deputy in agency’s largest region.  In that position, Ms. Segars was a member of the planning and implementation team for the Essex County Drug Court, which opened its doors on May 22, 1997 as one of the first in New Jersey.

Ms. Segars has consistently been a strong proponent of expanding the courts into other jurisdictions to give all non-violent drug offenders the chance to enter the heavily supervised treatment programs aimed at removing the influence of illegal drugs from their lives. 

PD Segars is a founding member of the New Jersey Network of Drug Court Professionals prior to appointment.  As the NJ Public Defender, Ms. Segars created the first Statewide Drug Court Unit in the agency. Since Ms. Segars’ confirmation as Public Defender, New Jersey has witnessed the successful expansion of Drug Court to all 21 counties.

Ms. Segars has lectured nationally on drug courts and policies related to criminal justice and drug treatment.  She is a core faculty member and panelist for the Justice Management Institute, a member of the board of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, a member of the National Drug Court Institute and a peer reviewer and consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Ms. Segars continues to aggressively participate in and advocate for Drug Courts and training on both a national and local level.   Additionally, Public Defender Segars serves as Vice-Chair of the newly formed New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing which is charged with the duty of reviewing statutory sentencing law and making legislative recommendations.

Responding to questions about her work with drug courts, Ms. Segars told the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing that she considered the program “one of the most progressive components of the criminal justice system. I will continue to work with the courts and with all the agencies involved to expand drug courts.”  She aggressively participates in and advocate for Drug Courts and training on both a national and local level.