New court in central Ga. aims to help veterans
The Telegraph
By AMY LEIGH WOMACK
October 27, 2013
MACON, Ga. (AP) — A young veteran had just returned from Afghanistan.
Injured in a car wreck, he became addicted to pain pills.
After being charged with theft, he recently found his way to Judge Tripp Self's courtroom.
Instead of handling the case like others in Bibb County Superior Court, Self, District Attorney David Cooke and public defender Lee Robinson are working out a way to get the young veteran the help he needs and not just send him off to prison.
He is an example of the kind of person Self, Cooke and Robinson hope to help in a new Veterans Court set to start operating in January.
"In today's age with the global war on terror, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, there's no question that these people who are coming back do have some special needs that the criminal justice system is not meeting in the right way," Self said. "These guys coming back have (post-traumatic stress disorder) and (traumatic brain injuries), and they're not really aware of some of the services that they're entitled to."
The Veterans Court would provide an opportunity for veterans to admit their crimes but be sentenced to complete treatment offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs instead of punishment. If they successfully complete the program, they won't have a conviction on their record.
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