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Veterans Court

Resource Guide

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David Rottman

Deborah W. Saunders

The veteran’s court model is based on drug treatment and/or mental health treatment courts. Typically, veteran mentors assist with the programs. An important issue that has to be addressed is eligibility for veteran’s court in terms of whether charges involving felonies or crimes of violence will be allowed.

The first veteran’s court opened in Buffalo, N.Y. in 2008. A precursor to the current veteran’s court model is the Homeless court which grew out of a 1988 Vietnam veterans’ stand down event.

Links to related online resources are listed below. Non-digitized publications may be borrowed from the NCSC Library; call numbers are provided.

Featured Links

Veterans Treatment Courts Developing Throughout the Nation This article discusses the growing number of veterans with a history of mental illness or substance abuse have been appearing in courts and how courts have begun to develop and implement veterans treatment courts to help veterans get their lives back on track.

Development of Veterans Courts

Rodriguez, Raquel New dormitory in Muscogee County Jail for veteran inmates . (April 2012). WRBL News 3 Muscogee County, Georgia provides veteran inmates of the local jail with a separate dorm in an effort to break the cycle of recidivism through treatment and support.  According to the county Sheriff the veterans’ dorm is the only one of its kind in the country.
Leave No Veteran Behind: A special court tries to keep troubled veterans out of prison . (June 2011). The Economist This article reviews the development of veteran’s courts across the country since the 2008 opening of the Buffalo, NY court.
McMichael, William H. Finding a new normal: Special courts help vets regain discipline, camaraderie by turning to mentors who’ve served. (February 2011). The Military Times Newspapers This article provides an overview of the history, development, theoretical basis and a map of existing veterans’ courts.
Robelo, Daniel Veterans courts have drawbacks. (January 2011). Evansville Courier and Press This article written by a Research Associate with the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)advocates for a pre-arrest diversion approach to treating veteran’s as opposed to veteran’s courts which often require a guilty plea.
Treatment Instead of Prison. (January 2011). National Veteran’s Foundation This article discusses the veteran’s court model, Minnesota’s sentencing statute for veteran cases, and the representation of veterans.
Lithwick, Dahlia A Separate Peace Specialized courts for war veterans work wonders. But why stop at veterans?. (February 2010). Slate This article looks at the arguments for and against veterans courts.
Phillip J. Cline, DA, Announces Launch of Tulare County Veterans` Court Program. (February 2010). Office of the Tulare County District Attorney This Press Release announces  the launch of the Tulare County, California Veteran's Court Program.
Graham, Ginnie The War At Home. (May 2010). Tulsa World This article discusses the Tulsa Veteran’s court and four other courts being considered as model courts by the National Drug Court Institute.
Eliass, Paul Veterans increasingly find service helps in court. (May 2010). Newsobserver.com This article provides an overview of the veteran's court movement.
Brunswick, Mark New vets court aims to help scarred soldiers. (March 2010). Star Tribune Pilot program to open in Hennepin County in July 2010.
Bennett, Josephine Georgia Has First Veterans Court in the Southeast . (July 2009). Georgia Public Broadcasting The first veterans’ court in the state opened in Forsyth, Georgia and if successful will be replicated around the state.
Walberg, Matthew Cook County Veterans Court offers helping hand. (July 2009). Chicago Tribune Circuit Judge John Kirby started the court in the spring of 2009.  It sets up a system of services and support for those in trouble after serving in the military.
Lane, Anthony Officials Struggle to ID Crimes too Violent for Vets Courts. (December 2009). Colorado Springs Independent This article looks at the issue of eligibility for veteran’s court.
Mentor Training Starts for Veterans Court . (December 2009). LaCrosse Tribune Training will begin for the group chosen for the La Crosse County Veterans Court Initiative Mentors Program in Wisconsin.
Brueggemann, Brian Durbin Visits Madison County Veterans Court, Hints of Funding. (November 2009). BND.com The head of the Madison County, Illinois veterans court is Circuit Judge Charles Romani Jr., an Army sergeant during the Vietnam War. The prosecutor is a former Marine corporal, the public defender a former Navy lieutenant.
Riley, Brendan Veterans Court Endorsed. (March 2009). Nevada Appeal This article describes the endorsement of veterans courts in Nevada.
Veterans` Court Proposal Passes. (April 2009). Las Vegas Review-Journal This Associated Press article reports that the Nevada Senate approved AB 187 authorizing veterans treatment courts.  According to the Nevada Legislature website the bill becomes effective July 1, 2009.
A Unique Tulsa Courtroom Marks its First Anniversary. (December 2009). NewsOn6.com This article discusses the Tulsa County, Oklahoma Veteran's Treatment Court.
Spangler, Anthony Tarrant Commissioners Vote to Accept State Grant to Set Up Veterans Court. (November 2009). Star Telegram Tarrant County Commissioners voted to accept a grant that would allow the opening of a specialized veterans' court in January 2010.
Pam Zubeck A Growing Call for Veteran`s Courts. (February 2009). The Gazette (Colorado Springs) This article discusses the proposed 5 year pilot program in Colorado Springs, CO for a veterans court.
Riccardi, Nicholas These courts give wayward veterans a chance. (March 2009). Los Angeles Times This article describes veterans court operating in Tulsa, OK and Orange Co., CA.
Cronin, Mike County eyes veterans` court. (January 2009). Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Allegheny County judges hope to set up the state's first veterans court.
Daneman, Matthew NY Court Gives Veterans Chance to Straighten Out. (June 2008). USA Today This article describes the Buffalo, NY Veteran's Court.
Marek, Lynn Courts for veterans spreading across U.S.. (December 2008). National Law Journal This article describes development of Veteran's Courts nationally.
Stull, Elizabeth Veterans` Court in Rochester Will Hear Cases Soon. (November 2008). Daily Record Bureau of Justice Assistance grant helps to fund a Veterans' Court in Rochester, NY.

Federal Legislation

Finnerty, John Veterans courts in line for funding. (March 2012). The Daily Item Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus P. McCaffery testified before Congress in support of a measure that would make federal grant funding available to state and local governments to establish Veterans Treatment Courts across the country.
Focus: Veterans' Courts. (February 2009). Gavel to Gavel.

A review of state legislation dealing with veterens' courts.
Justice Department Funds More Than $1 Million to Veteran Treatment Courts. (November 2011). The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) plans to support four drug courts designed to meet veterans' needs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 under the Adult Discretionary Drug Court Program.
Sen. Kerry, Rep. Kennedy Introduce Legislation to Fund Veterans Treatment Courts. (April 2009). Representative Patrick J. Kennedy`s Website This legislation known as the Services, Education and Rehabilitation for Veterans (SERV) Act would provide federal funding for treatment courts for veterans with substance abuse and/or mental health issues. HR 2138
Senate Judiciary Committee on Crime and Drugs Hearing. (March 2010). John A. Zottola, Judge in the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, who is the supervising judge in the newly formed veterans’ treatment court testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hon. Robert T. Russell. Veterans Treatment Courts Developing Throughout the Nation. (2009).

This article discusses the growing number of veterans with a history of mental illness or substance abuse have been appearing in courts and how courts have begun to develop and implement veterans treatment courts to help veterans get their lives back on track.

Organizations

ABA Resolution. (May 2010). American Bar Association This resolution supports the development of veterans treatment courts as part of a systematic approach to address the needs of veterans in civil and criminal proceedings.
Justice for Vets: The National Clearinghouse for Veterans Treatment Courts. National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) This website provides articles, resources, and links to legislation for veterans courts.

State Related Materials

Maine veterans court law signed into law. (March 2012). The Portland Press Herald This bill was presented in memory of Justin Crowley-Smilek, an ex-Army Ranger who returned from Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder and was shot and killed during an altercation with police.
Nation’s first online training for Veterans Courts mentors launched by Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. (November 2011). Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts The Pennsylvania Supreme Court in partnership with Robert Morris University launched an on-line training program for individuals who would like to volunteer as mentors in Veterans Courts.
Veterans Assistance Project Expands Into Four More Counties . New Jersey Courts The program is geared toward providing services to veterans, not diverting veterans from the courts. Veterans who are charged with indictable and non-indictable offenses, other than minor traffic matters, as well as veterans who are on probation, are eligible to participate in the program.
Court Programs for Wisconsin Veterans. (January 2011). Wisconsin Court System A brief overview of existing programs in Wisconsin courts including several veteran's treatment courts.
White, Michael D. The Prevalence and Problem of Military Veterans in the Maricopa County Arrestee Population . (June 2010). Arizona Arrestee Reporting Information Network This report provides an overview of information on veterans in the Maricopa County Jail System, drawing on data collected by the Arizona Arrestee Reporting Information Network (AARIN). This report is intended to assist the work of the Veterans Court Exploratory Committee.
Jeff Williford State Leaders Host Veterans Court Forum. (May 2010). Texas Veterans Commission On March 30, 2010 officials from around the state of Texas gathered to discuss the benefits of specialized veterans’ courts.   Senate Bill 1940 provides authorization to county commissioners to create these courts.
Levin, Marc A. Veterans` Courts Policy Brief . (November 2009). Center for Effective Justice This policy brief from the Texas Public Policy Foundation reviews the information on veterans’ in the criminal justice system and reviews recent Texas legislation allowing creation of veterans’ specialty courts.
Report of Veterans Arrested and Booked into the Travis County Jail . (July 2009). Travis County Veteran`s Intervention Project This report provides an assessment of the involvement of veterans in the criminal justice system in Travis County, Texas during a 90 day period in 2008.
Bjerke, Todd W. Synopsis of La Crosse Model of the Veteran`s Court. (October 2009). This report provides an overview of veterans courts and compares the La Crosse, Wisconsin plan to existing veterans courts.
Buffalo Veterans Court: Mentoring and Veterans Hospital Program Policy and Procedure Manual . (2008). This manual describes the Buffalo Veteran's Treatment Court as a specialized criminal court docket involving veterans charged with felony or misdemeanor non-violent criminal offense(s) and explains the diversion process for eligible veteran-defendants with substance dependency and/or mental illness.
Alaska Veterans Court. (November 2008). Alaska Court System The Anchorage Alaska Veterans Court is a special court within the justice system that assists veterans charged with misdemeanors.
Homeless Court. Veteran`s Village of San Diego The San Diego Homeless Court program grew out of a 1988 Vietnam Veterans of San Diego Stand Down event. Homeless veterans were asked to identify their greatest need. Many responded with the need for assistance in the criminal justice system to resolve court cases and warrants.
Buffalo Veteran’s Court and Veterans Mentor Handbook. This handbook provides policies and procedures for the Buffalo Veterans Court Mentoring Program.