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Veterans Enhanced Treatment Court
| Staff Name |
Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Johnson |
Judge | 509-477-2924 | |
| Kiara Segura | Judicial Assistant | 509-477-2924 |
Ksegura@spokanecounty.org |
| Hans Horstketter | Therapeutic Court Coordinator | 509-477-2283 | Hhorstketter@spokanecounty.org |
| Tom Squires |
Probation Officer |
509-477-6471 | Tasquires@spokanecounty.org |
| Directory/more info... |
|
Mission
The mission of the Spokane County Veterans Court is to provide an interagency, collaborative, non-adversarial treatment strategy for Veterans involved in the criminal justice system while holding them accountable and reintegrating them into the community.
What is Veterans Court?
Veterans Court is a therapeutic court program designed to provide a non-adversarial resolution process for Veterans who have committed misdemeanor offenses and have a military service-related diagnosis of either Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), or Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Referrals for potential participants that were also “Combat Veterans*” will be given special priority.
Spokane County Veterans Court is a collaboration of numerous agencies: County District Court, the Veterans Administration (VA), the Public Defender’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Probation Department, and other community partners. These agencies, working together, have established a viable option for a select group of offenders whose needs are better met through treatment intervention rather than incarceration.
*A “Combat Veteran” is defined in the Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Handbook 1601A.03 Section 4 part (e).
Who Do We Serve?
We serve former or current members of the United States Armed Forces, Guard or Reserves. As a former member, the Veteran must have been Honorably discharged or discharged “Generally” under honorable conditions.
Veterans Court may accept individuals with a confirmed military service-related diagnosis from the Department of Veterans Affairs of either Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Referrals for potential participants that were also “Combat Veterans*” will be given special consideration/priority.
*A “Combat Veteran” is defined in the Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Handbook 1601A.03 Section 4 part (e).
Criminal Case Criteria
Only those individuals whose cases are Spokane County misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor are eligible for acceptance into Veterans Court pending a review by the Veterans Court team. The Veterans Court team consists of the Judge, Prosecutor, Public Defender, Probation Officer, Veterans Court Coordinator, Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator, and Spokane Veterans Forum representative and additional court staff.
Felony reductions pled in District Court may be referred to the Veterans Court for probation monitoring, subject to a staffing review by the team.
Exclusions: Any prior convictions of serious violent offenses or sex offenses.