Dearborn Co. Veterans Treatment Court Now Accepting Referrals From Franklin Co.

The Southeastern Indiana Veterans Treatment Court run by Judge Jonathan Cleary now accepts cases from five surrounding counties.

Dearborn County Superior Courtroom. File photo.

(Brookville, Ind.) - The Southeastern Indiana Veterans Treatment Court (SEIVTC) will now accept criminal case referrals from Franklin County, announced Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chris Huerkamp.

The SEIVTC is a collaborative effort between the Court, Prosecutor, Court Services Department, Public Defender, Law Enforcement, and the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. Its primary goal is to provide immediate and concerted treatment to a veteran. The program, which lasts a minimum 52 weeks, consists of three phases to be followed by at least one year of probation.

According to Huerkamp, in order to be eligible for consideration for Veterans Court, the offender must be a veteran and charged with a non-violent felony or misdemeanor. A screening process determines the candidate’s appropriateness for the program based on the severity of the offender’s drug/alcohol dependency, prior criminal history, and other factors. If considered an appropriate candidate, the offender will then be contacted by a public defender or attorney of his or her choosing to explain the program qualifications and requirements. Following that, to enter the program, the offender must complete orientation with a case manager, enter a plea of guilty to the offense, and agree to abide by the SEIVTC program rules as part of a plea agreement.

Upon the veteran’s successful completion of the program, Huerkamp reported that the Prosecutor’s office can agree in advance to a reduction in charge, termination of probation, and even outright dismissal, depending on the facts and circumstances of the case.       

Franklin County Circuit Judge Clay Kellerman has recently collaborated with Judge Jonathan Cleary, presiding judge of the SEIVTC, for the acceptance of local case referrals. Upon confirmation that it could be done, Judge Kellerman immediately notified the Prosecutor’s Office.

Huerkamp welcomes the availability of the program. “In my opinion, in appropriate cases, past or current service in our nation’s Armed Services should earn consideration from the State. Veterans often come into contact with the criminal justice system when they have reached a point of crisis.  If we can utilize the Court’s powers of coercive intervention to get these veterans the treatment and support they need to move forward, I’m all for it,” he said.  

Judge Kellerman and Huerkamp have already notified the local defense bar of the program’s availability for pending and future cases.  The SEIVTC is located in Lawrenceburg, in Judge Cleary’s regular courtroom at the Dearborn County Courthouse. Judge Cleary has noteworthy ties to our local court system, having served as Franklin County’s Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney from 2006-2008.

In addition to Franklin County, the SEIVTC also accepts criminal case referrals from Dearborn, Jefferson, Ripley, Switzerland, and Ohio Counties.