Veterans Court

Mission Statement

The mission of the Benton County Veterans Therapeutic Court is to transform the lives of justice involved veterans by reframing the traditional legal process through treatment and mentorship.

Court Information

The Therapeutic Court office is located on the first floor of the Justice Center.

Weekly Veterans Court hearings are held every Tuesday in Courtroom 5 beginning at 10:00 A.M.

The Veterans Court Team

About Veterans Court

As Americans, we must keep in mind the enduring debt we owe our country’s military veterans and the serious challenges they face. Substance abuse and psychological health problems often go untreated which sometimes lead to criminal or other destructive behaviors. Many of these issues can be connected to the trauma of combat and other trauma-related experiences. Veterans Courts are designed to address the unique needs of veterans involved in the criminal justice system.

The Benton County Veterans Therapeutic Court began operating in June 2019.  Referrals are being accepted on an on-going basis.  Referrals should be faxed or delivered to the Therapeutic Court Office located on the first floor Benton County Justice Center.  All referrals will be screened for eligibility.  If eligible, the defendant will be contacted by the Therapeutic Court Assistant Coordinator to schedule an appointment.

To be eligible for Veterans Court, an individual must be charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony offense in Benton County, served in the US Armed Forces (Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard) and have a substance use disorder, mental illness, PTSD, or MST.

To enter Veterans Court, you must sign a Stipulated Order of Continuance (SOC) which means that the case is held in a pre-trial status for 24 months while you participate in VTC. If you successfully complete the program, your charge(s) will be dismissed or amended to a lesser charge.  Your attorney will discuss this with you in more detail.

Circumstances which would make an individual ineligible for Veterans Court include: active warrants in other jurisdictions, previous history of a sex offense, history of a severe violent offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030, or cases in which a firearm was involved in the commission of the crime.  This is not an exclusive list of exclusionary criteria.  Please see the participant handbook or contact a member of the Therapeutic Court team for more information.

Veterans Therapeutic Court is a voluntary program created to provide support to qualifying Veterans that are involved in the criminal justice system.  VTC requires regular court appearances, appointments with the VTC Case Manager, compliance with treatment plan(s) including mental health, substance abuse and medication management, attendance at monthly forums, completion of community service and regular contact with the Veteran Mentor.  The program is structured to meet the unique needs of Veterans through treatment, mentorship, accountability, and connection so they may regain stability in their life while learning life-long skills to ensure they avoid future involvement in the criminal justice system.  

As long as they are willing to show up, do the work, and be honest, they will be able to overcome any challenges and setbacks they encounter to successfully complete and graduate from this program.  In most cases, graduation from VTC results in their charge(s) being dismissed!