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Veterans Treatment Court
aims to get veterans help
they need
Posted: Jan 07, 2016 5:22 PM CST
Updated: Jan 08, 2016 9:12 AM CST
By Theresa Schmidt CONNECT
Wreck shuts
down lanes in
front of ...
CALCASIEU PARISH, LA (KPLC) - They served our country, yet the struggles they face cause
some veterans to wind up in the criminal court system.
But there's a new Veterans Treatment Court in Calcasieu that aims to help make their
lives better.
Judges David Ritchie and Sharon Wilson will preside over the new court, which is just now
kicking off.
At a Thursday news conference, the judges said they hope the veterans who utilize the
court can get the help they need. Crimes usually excluded from some specialty courts
won't necessarily be off limits at this court.
"We aren't just going to close
Liberty
the door
Eylau
on crimes of violence in this because it may be
things that some of these veterans woman suffered dead when they were overseas," Ritchie said.
"Some of the PTSD may have in led house them fire to domestic violence or something like that."
"The theory behind the court is to return these individuals who served our country
honorably and now have fallen on dishonor to a position of honor, and that the court can
do that in a therapeutic way where we work as a team," Wilson said.
The program, which has been successful in other areas, is still being fine-tuned. It will
include mentors known as "battle buddies."
Veteran Joe Hill is the coordinator for the mentoring program.
"These are other veterans who have made the transition to civilian life without difficulty
and they're there to show those who are having difficulties that they too, by giving to this
program, seeing it through, working hard - that they can become fully functional citizens
again," said Hill.
The program saves taxpayers dollars because most of those who get involved do not
commit the offenses again.
After successfully completing the program, the charge is removed from the veterans'
records.
For more information on the program, call the Calcasieu District Attorney's Office at 337-
437-3400 and ask for Jaterrica Phillips. The DA's office and Calcasieu Sheriff's Office are
among the agencies supporting the program.
Copyright 2016 KPLC. All rights reserved.
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