Judge John Colborn (right) presents commemorative coins to newly-sworn Veterans Treatment Court mentors during April opening ceremonies
The Inaugural Ceremony for Nebraska’s newest problem solving court, the Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court, will take place on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in the City-County Chambers Room 112 in the City-County Building, 555 S. 10th Street, Lincoln.
Actress Melissa Fitzgerald, who presently serves as the national Director of Justice for Vets, will be a keynote speaker at the event.
The mission of the Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court is to honor the service of justice-system involved veterans by providing a rehabilitative program combining intensive judicial supervision and treatment services while enhancing public safety. The goal is to return law-abiding and productive citizens to the community.
A veterans treatment court operates very similar to a drug court. The program in the District Court for Lancaster County will be available to some veterans or active military members who are charged with a felony and who are assessed with a trauma spectrum disorder incurred in combat zone during any U.S. combat conflict.
Participants will remain in the program for up to two years. Intensive judicial supervision, any needed drug/alcohol testing and treatment, mental health counseling and various programs tailored to the specific participant will all be a part of the program.
Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court Team:
- Judge John A. Colborn – Presiding Judge
- Judge Robert R. Otte – Second Presiding Judge
- Joe Kelly – Lancaster County Attorney
- Joe Nigro – Lancaster County Public Defender
- Sandra Miller – Veteran Justice Outreach
- Robert Hurley – Lincoln Police Department
- Tony Conell – Veteran Court Coordinator
- Jeff Hamilton – Veteran Court Supervising Officer
Veterans Court Committee members (in addition to those above) are Landon Parks, Adult Drug Court Coordinator; Jeff Curry, Chief Probation officer; Kerry Miller-Loos, Veterans Administration; Kim Etherton, Community Corrections; Jim Cada, attorney; Adam Jorgensen, State Problem-Solving Court Coordinator; Nick Freeman, Lancaster County County Attorney’s Office, and Webb Bancroft, Lancaster County Public Defender’s office.
Contact: Tony Conell, Veterans Court Coordinator, 402-441-6909