The study found a significant relationship between offender demeanor and program admission. Of those accepted into drug court (n=40), 62.5 percent were described by program staff as having a "favorable" demeanor. Similarly, of the group rejected for program participation (n=36), 61.1 percent were reported as having an "unfavorable" demeanor. Demeanor remained a significant predictor of program admission after controlling for other factors such as demographics or number of charges. Those exhibiting favorable demeanor during intake and assessment were more than two and a half times more likely to be accepted into the program. Future research should examine whether demeanor at intake is a significant predictor of outcome of drug court participation. If so, it could be considered a reasonable criterion for program admission. Of the 76 juveniles referred to the Aiken County Juvenile Drug Court (South Carolina)--a voluntary, court-supervised program for nonviolent offenders with substance-abuse problems--40 were accepted and 36 denied. In this study, program admission was the dependent variable. The independent variable of demeanor was assessed as "favorable" or "unfavorable" based on the intake evaluator's impressions of each referred offender. In each of the cases examined, offenders' attitudes toward the program and general demeanor were documented by those who conducted the assessments. Other independent variables measured were race, gender, age, family status, and dual diagnosis (offender diagnosed with both mental illness and substance abuse). 4 tables and 55 references