Vietnam vet to head SD County vet court

MILITARY: Vietnam vet to head SD County vet court

By Rick Rogers - For The North County Times North County Times - Californian

Vietnam veteran and longtime San Diego Superior Court Judge Roger W. Krauel will preside over San Diego County's first veterans court once it's up and running, probably in a few in months.

The pilot court program will handle cases involving military veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or substance abuse who are arrested in San Diego County. Details surrounding what types of cases the court will hear are being determined.

About 40 veteran courts are operating across the U.S. Next month, a team consisting of Krauel and other key county staff will travel to Buffalo, N.Y., under a National Drug Court Institute grant to see firsthand how the veterans court there works.

"San Diego County has the greatest number of returning Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans then any where else in the country," said San Diego attorney Judy Litzenberger, who's co-chaired a legal task force since 2007 to establish what's being called the Veterans Treatment Court. "We are trying to produce a safety net for both the vet and the civilian community."
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Vietnam vet to head SD County vet court