The Senate voted 37-0 on Feb. 26 to approve HB 199. The Senate version was SB 50.
The legislation makes veterans court more like other specialty diversion courts by making the judge and the treatment team the primary gatekeepers.
Currently, potential participants must first obtain a state attorney’s permission. Under the new law, judges will be required to consult with the state attorney.
“That will streamline everything,” said Duval County Judge Mose Floyd, who presides over Veterans Treatment Court in Jacksonville.
In 1994, through a collaboration of the State Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, court administration, the Department of Corrections/Law Enforcement, and community treatment providers, the 4th Judicial Circuit began operating courts designed to assist people with their substance use and/or mental disorders. Following a model of accountability, treatment and supervision instead of jail or prison, problem-solving courts were developed, such as Mental Health Court and Drug Treatment Court.
With the assistance of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration and community volunteers; the collaboration that started problem-solving courts expanded its focus to include active duty military personnel and military veterans and established VTC in Duval County in 2013.
VTC is a court-supervised, comprehensive treatment program designed to identify defendants with qualifying non-violent criminal charges who are actively serving or who have actively served in the military, who have a service-related mental health condition, service-related traumatic brain injury, service-related substance use disorder or service-related psychological problem or has experienced military sexual trauma, and have a connection between the offense or diagnoses and their military service.
The VTC team comprises the presiding judge, state attorney, defense counsel, coordinator, court case manager, probation officer and law enforcement officers, veterans’ justice outreach coordinator, volunteer mentors and community treatment providers.
The mission of VTC is immediate and intensive intervention and treatment after an arrest. VTC is one of 10 problem solving courts operating in the 4th Circuit designed to help people gain and maintain stability, improve mental health and achieve sobriety.