Veterans' Courts in Nevada
State Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley (D-Las Vegas) and a bipartisan group of Nevada legislators are sponsoring a bill that will assist some veterans accused of nonviolent crimes with a specialized court geared toward substance abuse and mental health treatment.
Studies show that PTSD sufferers are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Nevada has chronicled the struggles of veterans returning from the nation’s current wars. http://www.reviewjournal.com/media/interactive/war_back_home.html Clark County officials report the possibility of creating a veterans-only court in response to the high rate of mental disorders among veterans from the current and past wars.
Currently Judges in Nevada are not required to ask if defendants have served in the military. They have no way of monitoring how many veterans pass through the justice system.
In veterans’ courts, like the one started last year in Buffalo NY, criminal proceedings are suspended before sentencing so that defendants can attend drug, alcohol, or mental health treatment programs. Upon completion, their criminal cases are usually dismissed.
This effort will definitely help the misunderstood trauma veterans endure fighting in this country’s military.
