NATCHEZ &045; The actions of three Adams County teenage drug offenders landed them before the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi Tuesday.

But the only thing he sentenced them to was a bright future and a long life of happiness.

The three graduates of the Adams County youth drug court program have already served their time and completed the standards set out for them and Tuesday was graduation day. Chief Justice James Smith Jr. was the keynote speaker.

&uot;This is a major event in these young people’s lives,&uot; Smith said. &uot;That’s why I’m here today.

&uot;Visions and goals are an absolute must in your life. Don’t look back, look one step ahead, always. Never accept a setback in life as an ultimate defeat.&uot;

Smith told the graduates, two males and a female, that they had overcome one challenge in their lives, but more would soon come.

&uot;People grow fat and lazy when they have no challenges in life,&uot; he said. &uot;You may fail again. It could be this year, or it could be later this week, but don’t let that stop you.&uot;

Family members in the audience warned the students not to let them down, and drug court workers charged the graduates to stay strong, wise, focused and honest.

Darlene Jones, of the court, said this year’s graduates were three of the best the program has seen in its three-year existence.

&uot;If we could say we have a class graduating with honorsŠI present to you our summa cum laude class,&uot; Jones said.

Jones said the grads were the first to go through the program without any setbacks.

&uot;Drug court is a place that the court is proactive,&uot; Youth Court Judge John Hudson said. &uot;The court has an opportunity to be engaged in the lives of young people on a week to week basis.&uot;

Drug court participants are closely monitored by counselors and the judge. They appear weekly before Hudson to report on their conduct. The program has three phases prior to graduation. In addition to the three who participated in graduation Tuesday, one other finished the program and seven were promoted from one phase to the next.