Nassau County Hires Police Ethics Consultant
The Nassau County Veterans Court was established in November of 2011 to give eligible defendants the opportunity to receive treatment and counseling rather than go to jail for their crimes.
The Court is located in the Nassau County District Court House at 99 Main Street, Hempstead.
At the opening ceremonies for this new court, Administrative Judge Anthony Marano said he hoped the court “will make a positive difference in their lives and bring to our veterans the specialized resources needed to help them navigate the criminal justice system…”
The first court of this type in the United States is believed to have been one created by Buffalo New York City Court Judge Robert Russell in 1998. Since then, the success of this court has been recognized and imitated by other courts throughout the country.
Suffolk County launched its Veterans Court in February of 2011. New York City currently has two Veterans Courts, covering Kings County and Queens County.
In order to qualify for veterans courts, defendants must be accused of low-level, non violent misdemeanors which may have been committed as a result of alcohol or substance abuse problems. The federal government has given more than half a million dollars to the Veterans Courts in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County to hire screeners to determine suitable candidates.
Pat Touro, the Queens chapter president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, was quoted in the New York Times explaining the special needs of veterans:
“The guy who comes home, gets depressed because he’s away from his buddies in the military, he doesn’t have a job, he doesn’t know what to do, he starts drinking, he gets jammed up — instead of getting help, they fall through the cracks…”
Nothing contained in this article is meant as legal advice. To get information about your particular case, seek advice from an attorney.
About the author
Related posts
