News Item
Third Judicial District Veterans Court to celebrate fifth anniversary
Posted: Friday, September 13, 2024
Minnesota’s 3rd Judicial District will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its Veterans Treatment Court at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at Soldiers Field Memorial.
The event will include remarks by Tim Penny, former First District congressman.
“In just five years, our Veterans Treatment Court has helped 90 veterans who were in legal trouble,” said Monty Vikdal, the 3rd Judicial District's Veterans Treatment Court coordinator. “So we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate them and thank everyone who has been a part of this success.”
Veterans Treatment Court is a voluntary 15-to-18-month program in which a judge leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals to collaboratively assist the veteran defendant with an array of services—from emergency financial assistance, to chemical dependency and mental health/trauma counseling, to employment training assistance and temporary housing. Participants may be removed from the program if they do not comply with its requirements or if they reoffend while in treatment.
"It is important to note that after every major war in our nation's history, we have experienced a significant increase in criminal involvement by our returning veterans as they struggle with their combat experiences and attempt to reintegrate into civilian life," said Judge Ross Leuning, lead judge for the 3rd Judicial District’s Veterans Treatment Court.
One way Veterans Treatment Court does this is by connecting veteran participants with a mentor. These mentors, who themselves are veterans, support, guide, and serve as both a sounding board and a friend for veteran participants. Volunteer mentors attend all court sessions, provide moral support and advice to the veteran, and generally assist in steering the veteran in the right direction.
“These volunteers are foundational to the program and play a valuable role in both our court system and the community,” Vikdal says. “They’ve proven to be the key factor in helping our justice-involved veterans succeed.”
Judge Leuning played a key role in getting the 3rd Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court off the ground. He worked with Waseca County Probation Officer Brandon Servantez to develop a court that would serve veterans throughout the district—a heavy lift, given the large geographic area and spread-out population.
Today, the court serves all 11 counties in the 3rd Judicial District and works with a host of partners, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care networks, the Veterans Benefits Administration, various probation departments, and several county attorneys’ offices. To manage the logistics of serving such a large area, the court holds morning sessions at the Olmsted County Court on the east side of the district, and afternoon sessions in the Steele County Courthouse, which is centrally located among the six western counties.
The district is rightly proud of its Veterans Treatment Court, not only because it has assisted veterans in dealing with addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health conditions, homelessness and other issues that cause legal problems, but also because it prevents those issues from leading to recidivism.
“One of the first public signs that a veteran is struggling is an appearance in our courts,” Judge Leuning said. “For those struggling, and for their families and their communities, we all must team up to find these veterans, direct them, help them, and support them."
For more information about the fifth anniversary Veterans Treatment Court celebration, email monty.vikdal@co.freeborn.mn.us.