Ramsey County Law Library Blog

For soldiers returning home from active duty, the successful reintegration back into civilian life often poses one of their biggest battles.  In addition to the usual mental health issues and employment challenges, this struggle can also leave veterans more vulnerable to run-ins with the criminal justice system.   This is the reality behind the recent launch of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office’s newest collaboration, the Ramsey County Veterans Court. 

With the help of a $350,000 federal grant, this effort “is targeted at veterans charged with nonviolent crimes who may be suffering from emotional and mental health issues, chemical dependency and employment problems connected to their service.” This project has much in common with the successful Mental Health Court insofar as using social services to address the underlying problems that can put veterans on the wrong side of the law, but also brings local and federal veterans officials to the table. According to St. Paul City Attorney Sara Grewing, the program will also connect veterans with resources like counseling, health care and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. Another cornerstone of the Veterans Court is fellow-veteran mentorship.

The Veterans Court is designed to handle up to 25 cases at a time.  According to Kim Bingham (assistant director of the criminal division of the Ramsey County Attorney’s office), police will distribute business cards with Veterans Court contact information to suspected criminals who have served in the military, which will then allow veterans to apply for the program.  You can view the Veterans Court Facebook page  or find other Ramsey County veterans services here.