Steve Burns
WMAL.com

MANASSAS – (WMAL) After everything veterans have been through, some in Prince William County believed they should get some special considerations if they find themselves in the court system.

Next month, Prince William County’s courts will start up the Veterans Treatment Docket, setting up veterans accused of crimes with specialized counselors, judges, and attorneys who are familiar with their plight and unique circumstances.

“It deals with things about difficulties with reintegrating into society simply because they’ve been through certain hardships that result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and so forth,” Delegate Rich Anderson (R-Woodbridge) told WMAL. “It creates a small cadre of court officials, to include judges, who are familiar with the unique nature of veterans circumstances.”

Anderson said he and colleagues had fought for the creation of the docket, but the bill was stuck in committee. Instead, the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in, crafting its own regulations around the Veterans Treatment Docket that can be implemented around the Commonwealth.

The docket is scheduled to convene once a month, with veterans entered into the system by a judge who deems him or her suitable for the program. While veterans accused of both misdemeanors and felonies are eligible, the judge must determine the veteran is capable of rehabilitation and safe re-entry into society.

“It’ll involve such things as placing them on supervision, assigning a mentor who is a positive role model that can be with them and set them through the whole legal process, and attorneys who are certified to practice cases before the veterans docket,” Anderson said. “This will permit there to be a unique population of court officials and others who can deal with this group that has been through circumstances that very few others have been through.”

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