A new project in Manatee and Sarasota county courts will identify veterans from the latest Iraq war and the Afghanistan war when they are arrested, then link them to social programs that can help them avoid legal trouble in the future.
Getting the veterans the help they need can prevent them from becoming repeat offenders on minor charges like DUI, substance abuse or in conflicts that lead to assault or battery, 12th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Lee Haworth said.
“We want to intervene as early as possible,” said Haworth, a 23-year Army veteran who spent time in Iraq during Desert Storm.
Haworth was a prosecutor when Vietnam veterans returned home in the 1970s, and says the mental scars from war were not well understood.
This is an abstract from the Herald Tribune Article.
If you have been arrested for a criminal offense of any kind in the Sarasota County area of Florida, your freedom is in jeopardy. Fortunately, a Sarasota County criminal defense lawyer may be able to help you avoid a conviction and serious penalties. The most pressing issue at hand will be whether you are going to be formally charged, and what specific charges you will face. An attorney may be able to step in immediately and work to help you avoid charges in the first place. When this is impossible, your Sarasota County criminal defense attorney will be able to assert your rights through all criminal court proceedings in order to help make the law work in your favor.
