Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court Opening Ceremony April 19, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
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