By Sam McVey, Deseret News: On Monday, the Utah Judicial Council approved the first two veterans’ courts for Utah district courts. We will start one of them in the second week of January in my Provo courtroom. The other will be in Salt Lake County. I might add the Provo Justice Court is considering a similar program for Class B and C misdemeanants in the future.
We have used drug and mental health courts for years to break cycles of criminal behavior involving drug addiction and mental illness. The veterans’ court deals with those issues but focuses on felony and class A misdemeanor offenders who have been a member of our nation’s armed forces at any point in their lives. Very few veterans commit crimes. But for those who have done so, we now have a specialized means to help them lead happier, more productive lives. To read entire article, click here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865616596/Help-for-veterans-with-new-program.html