BILLINGS - She had two options. Go to jail or get better.
After 848 days of sobriety, 891 hours of recorded treatment and a lot of hard work, Amanda Boyer was back in a Yellowstone County Court Room, Wednesday, but this time, as a graduate.
A graduate of Yellowstone County Treatment Court. She and 17 others reached that goal Wednesday.
MTN News firstspoke with Boyer in January 2021. She was on her path to recover and move forward in life.
A deep personal commitment, District Judge Mary Jane Knisley, and support from across the community got her and the others here.
Through tears Boyer, expressed her gratitude after a life of trauma, alcohol abuse and a car crash pushed her into treatment court.
Knisley, who also held back tears, applauded Boyer's success and said, “You were shouting, angry and ill, and now you are a rainbow of hope.”
The judge went on to say, “You have dreams I know you are going to make come true.”
Others stood up in a packed courtroom to celebrate Boyer and the other graduates.
They praised participants' tenacity, strength, and courage to reach this point.
Some of these graduates will likely be back in the courtroom.
But when that happens, it will be to help others find success.
