County Considers Veterans' Court

A court created solely for dealing with military veterans who break the law could be in the works for Allegheny County. Common Pleas Judge and veteran Michael McCarthy is spearheading the initiative and says that the court could provide a "bridge" for troubled vets that would allow them to avoid jail time by entering treatment programs. The alternative court would have a similar model to the the mental health court established in 2001 that pairs non-violent mentally ill offenders with social services. The VA Pittsburgh Health System could help provide care and experienced veterans would act as mentors to struggling veterans. A hand full of similar courts already exist in New York, Alaska, California and Oklahoma. The next step is to create a task force to determine how to identify defendants who are veterans. Officials hope to have the court set up by June.