Alaska moves bill to give judge room on PTSD and TBI cases

House committee moves bill to let judges consider PTSD, brain injury in sentencing combat vets
Associated Press
By MIKE COPPOCK
First Posted: March 20, 2014

JUNEAU, Alaska — The House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs moved a bill Thursday allowing judges to consider post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries as a mitigating factor during sentencings of combat veterans.

House Bill 313, sponsored by Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, would allow a state judge to take PTSD and traumatic brain injuries into account as a possibility of a reduced sentence. Sentencing reductions would be on condition of counseling.

The bill mirrors the statute concerning fetal alcohol syndrome and cannot be used as a mitigating factor for crimes involving serious injury, sexual assault or unlawful death.

"Many of our military personnel seem fine when they come back, but there are scars that are hidden," said Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River.

Gara said the reason for limiting PTSD to combat-related veterans was a fear that if the category was widened, there may be a wide range of individuals claiming to have PTSD, but do not.
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