Veterans court proposed for Maine

Veterans court proposed for Maine
By Scott Thistle, Regional Editor
Published on Sunday, Dec 4, 2011
AUGUSTA — In response to Justin Crowley-Smilek's death and at the prompting of U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, state Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, is proposing legislation aimed at helping veterans.

"What has blown me away," Maloney said, "is I have heard from so many veterans who want to volunteer to help other veterans.

Maloney's bill would set up a new layer in Maine's court system aimed at veterans with mental health and/or substance-abuse issues. The court would be for vets facing criminal charges and would allow a judge via a social worker to have access to a veteran's health and military records. It would also provide the veteran facing charges with a volunteer advocate in another veteran who has similar life experiences and who may be maintaining a treatment regiment.

Maloney, a lawyer and former prosecutor for the state, said the court is meant to recognize veterans as uniquely different citizens, but it isn't intended to provide them with any special privilege under the law.

A docket for the day would be set up to hear all veteran cases, she said.
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