Court aims to help veterans

Posted by thejudge in Jun, 2017

Original Article Posted on 4/10/2016 By Pearl Cantrell, Staff Writer at The Monitor

KAUFMAN–Kaufman County Commissioners resolved to start the process to implement a Veterans Court in Kaufman County. There are currently about a dozen such courts in Texas. Collin County 292nd District Court Judge John Roach implemented the first such court in North Texas, which now is organized in a region to include Rockwall County and now Kaufman.

The purpose of the diversionary program is to insure that veterans who have been injured in combat and have been charged with a criminal offense due to such injury can receive treatment and or rehabilitation and be successfully reintegrated into society.

At any given time about 50 to 75 inmates in Kaufman County are veterans, commissioners learned.

To qualify for the program, it must be determined that the individual’s crimes are materially connected to combat injuries suffered as a result of honorable service in the United States Armed Forces.

The projected costs of the program is estimated at between $400 and $750 per individual, with Veterans Affairs and other agencies involved in the program’s ongoing support.
The program lasts from six months to two years, depending on treatment needs and rate of progress.

The article continues with other County business here...