At 11:15 a.m. March 2, Magistrate John Sampson called to order the first Veterans Treatment Court track of Adult Drug Court, reported the Office of Public Defender Matt Shirk.
The proceeding was in a fifth-floor courtroom at the Duval County Courthouse.
Shirk’s office said the Veterans Administration denied a claim for the defendant, known in court as “Mr. Alvin,” seven years ago and failed to provide him a primary care appointment more than one year ago.
Shirk’s office said the defendant “is now on the fast track to receiving the long-awaited, deserved treatment options he was promised by the Navy back in the early 1970s.”
Although he served only a short time during the Vietnam era, he became Duval County’s first Veterans Treatment Court Defendant.
Accompanying the defendant were his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Richard Gordon; his veteran mentor John Holzbaur, a retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy and director of Veterans Affairs for Shirk’s office; and Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator Charlotte Matthews from the U.S. Veterans Administration.
Sampson held the first proceeding, which the public defender’s office said took 15 minutes.
According to the office, Duval County Veterans Treatment Court evolved over the past year.
In March 2011, Shirk called for such a system, “noting the tremendously low recidivism rate being realized in the few other VTCs operating around the country.”
“Initially, Shirk faced opposition to VTC based on funding concerns, but support grew during subsequent months and the Court Administration determined in December that it would work creatively to establish the VTC,” said the office.
Shirk’s office arranged for staff to coordinate the function and invited “veteran mentors” to sign up.
Shirk’s office said it identified more than 500 veterans in the local criminal justice system in the last six months of 2011.
“This defines a significant need,” it said.
The office said about 80 jurisdictions around the country operate veterans treatment courts and that they report a low recidivism rate.
It said VA benefits eventually cover the cost of those adjudicated in the court.
“American servicemen and women are coming home from overseas conflicts in large numbers and military communities like Jacksonville will undoubtedly see an influx of combat veterans,” Shirks said.
“The transition back to civilian life will be difficult for some of them, especially those who knowingly or unknowingly are suffering from service-related injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury,” he said.
“As we have seen in the past and in other jurisdictions, this can lead them into legal troubles. It is only fair to those who put their lives on the line for America that we extend them this common courtesy of assistance when they need it most,” he said.