Glad someone is trying to help the vets... but alot more is needed

It is unconstitutional to apply the law differently for one set of people than another. However, our legal system is morally and ethically bankrupt, so it would be expected of an elitist mindset to think they have solutions for societal ills by giving appearances of compassion in an immoral authoritarian democracy.

They have specialty drug and alcohol courts to avoid the "cycle". This court is no different. Did they ACLU file suit when those courts were started? Does "longtimefan" have the same feelings towards those courts? I am unclear there is a differentiation in the treatment of the individual clients. If the system is ethically and morally corrupt as "longtimefan" declares it, wouldn't this be a good start to changing the justice system?

The law is not getting applied differently. Interventions are being used to target vets and reduce if not eliminate their deviant behavior.

longtimefan: do you feel the same about tax court, truancy court, juvenile court, drug court, and all the other various courts we have? Do you really think our justice system can function with a "one size fits all" approach?

WHOA!!! I am STILL IN SHOCK at what I just read in this article- ARE YOU SERIOUS?? "A response to the realities of vets' return to civilian life"???? WHAT??? Here's an idea- how about if the staffers at the Trib conduct some interviews with a few of the veterans that are actually involved in the cases- and if those veterans are "not allowed" to discuss their cases, how about a Tribune staffer or any fellow Minnesotan sit in on a few of the cases to observe.....from what the article discloses, this court appears to be hauntingly similar to PROBATE COURT!!!...and if this veterans court is ANYTHING like Minnesota Probate, then every veteran who enters its doors doesn't stand a chance for Justice!!! I wouldn't be one bit surprised to find that the new pilot veteran court is another smoke-screen con job by the "Friends and family of Probate" to exercise a new means to financially exploit a whole new group of citizens- our VETS. Isn't it bad enough that our vets have to sacrifice more than anyone else and get a fraction of the compensation truly earned?? I hope I'm wrong here, but this article makes this court sound like the Judges are now claiming the right to force the vets into "veteran conservatorship" !!!! I PRAY that I am wrong about this.

Oh- this is a message for thunder....its obvious that you have never served your country- and it would not be surprising to learn that you basically have only served YOURSELF during your lifetime, but before you go shooting your mouth off and spewing discriminatory remarks about vets in general, why don't you march yourself into your local recruiters office and join up....if you actually "make it" through bootcamp and then work your tail off to EARN the right to be called a Military Serviceman...then you can come back to "show" everyone how "easy" it is to BE a veteran. Have you looked at your life lately? Do you have the slightest clue what each and every person in the service must endure while serving? Your answer isn't really necessary...everybody already knows that you don't have a clue.

"avoid the cycle..." Drug crimes are victimless. I don't care what you put in your body, as long as your body doesn't harm anyone else. Drug courts are criminal enterprises for the police state and serve the only purpose they were intended to do, which is employ otherwise unproductive parasite lawyers, cops and prison employees.

This makes me wonder how much attention to acts other than the military norm are not being paid attention to while the individual is still in the service and training/working under that aegis? Contrary what the liberals/liberal press would want you to believe, very very few vets have a difficult time reverting back to civilian life. Often times the ones that do were as just as big of "duds" (military term from my time in for those who wouldn't carry their weight and looked for excuses why they didn't) when they were in as when they were /become civilians. Most returning vets are in excellent memtal health, don't go around breaking laws, and are excellent civilian employees...

Unless these vets have actually been in combat they deserve no special treatment. Thanks for serving - it is voluntary. If combat caused you to be dysfunctional after your service we owe you but to use your service as an excuse to break the law is a disservice to all who served and returned to civilian life as pillars of their communities.