Veterans Court Saving Lives

November 11th each year we take pause to remember those who served this nation in the armed services. It is not only a time to thank our veterans past and present for their service but also think about what we can do for the returning heroes. Some soldiers and sailors make the ultimate sacrifice with their lives and they deserve to be honored. However, we need to both honor and help those who return.

Veterans face many unique challenges once they leave military service, especially after experiencing combat. After the parades and the hugs, these men and women try to return to a normal life. For some, the life they left no longer exists while for others they find themselves discharged from duty far from home and family. Gone is the day to day structure and camaraderie of military service. Some returning troops returned with severe disfiguring injuries while others suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the horrific violence they witnessed.

Combat and military service effects different people differently. Some can transition smoothly into a successful civilian life but many end up unemployed and homeless with substance abuse problems form self-medicating. There are serious issues with crime amongst our veterans in Georgia the Courts are taking steps the deal with this head on.

This year the General Assembly passed S.B. 320, creating Veteran’s Courts as a part of Governor Deal commitment of Criminal Justice Reform. Veteran’s Courts are an accountability court, similar to those for drug and DUI offenders with some significant differences.

As an accountability court, Veteran’s Court integrates the Judges, Prosecutors, Defense lawyers, Probation and Mental Health Treatment as a team guiding the individual veterans through a two-year program. In the program bad behavior is punished swiftly while good behavior is rewarded. There is even assistance to get the veteran’s the services they earned from the Veterans’ Administration.

The key difference is that in Veteran’s Court, each veteran works with a mentor who is also a veteran. The mentor is somebody who can provide the veteran a support network, guiding them on day to day life as a civilian and holding them accountable. The mentor attends court with the veteran and works with the team.

Veteran’s Courts have already been set up in Augusta/Richmond County, Columbus/Muscogee County as well as Fulton County already and many other jurisdictions are in the process of staring programs as well. These courts are already saving lives, reaching out to the men and women who served this country who would otherwise be discarded for not being able to fit into society after their service. Its just one other way the Bench and Bar of the State of Georgia are, “Serving those who have served.”

Eric A. Ballinger served as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army during Operation Desert Storm. He has practices law in Canton, Georgia for the last twenty-one years and serves as representative on the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia where he presently chairs the Military Legal Assistance Program.