Justice not blind to service in Veterans Court

Veterans court ready to launch in northwest Ohio
By - Associated Press
Thursday, January 1, 2015

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A court dedicated to dealing with veterans facing legal trouble is set to begin taking on cases in early January.

The court will operate in Toledo’s Municipal Court.

There are just four other veterans courts in Ohio. Those are in Mansfield and Youngstown along with Hamilton County and Stark County.

Their goal is to address underlying issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans who are charged with misdemeanors.

Those veterans going through Toledo’s new court must plead guilty or no contest before the court can try and help get treatment instead of jail time.

Judge William Connelly, who will preside over the court, has spent time trying to understand how the trauma of war can lead to trouble with the law at home. He watched a video of American servicemen driving a Humvee through Baghdad, stopping for nothing despite heavy traffic and obstacles to avoid potential danger. The video then showed a veteran at home speeding through a construction zone, growing tense in the restricted space.

“He felt trapped, paralyzed,” Connelly said. He called it “an eye-opening experience” to the triggers that can agitate veterans struggling to readjust.
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