SAN ANTONIO – It is a special court that seems only appropriate for a city known as “Military City USA.”
The Felony Veterans Treatment Court is designed to address the needs of veterans who are in the criminal justice system.
The majority of cases involve substance abuse and assault offenses.
State District Court Judges Jefferson Moore and Lori Valenzuela split court duties that include weekly dockets.
“We send these men and women off to fight our wars for us and a lot of the time they see things that you and I would never see, and deal with dangerous situations that you and I would never have to be into,” Moore said.
The court is set up to deal with the emotional and psychological scars the are often the result of a veteran’s military service.
“They’re injured,” Moore said. “Maybe we can’t see the injuries, but they do have these issues that can cause them to get into the criminal justice system.”
During the two-year, five-phase program, the court works closely with the veterans on a personal level.
The first phase includes weekly face-to-face meetings in court with Moore and Valenzuela.
“We try to work out an individualized program for each of the veterans to try to bring them back into society,” Judge Moore explained.
The county and the Texas Veterans Commission fund the program, with each veteran responsible for paying a separate fee.
Following completion, participants are evaluated by pre-trial and other diversion programs before their case goes back to the District Attorneys Office for further action.
“If we can have these guys turn their lives around, they are not going back into the criminal justice system, so we have fewer criminals on the street,” Judge Moore said.