Veterans' court

A veterans' court is a specialized local court that handles minor offenses committed by military veterans, particularly those connected to service related illness such as addiction, homelessness or post traumatic stress. The first veterans' court was created in Buffalo, New York in 2008 and became the model for similar courts established elsewhere in the United States. The courts mainly handle misdemeanors, and prosecutors and judges may let a defendant plead guilty to reduced charges, though violent felonies are excluded from consideration. Commentators have raised questions about whether carving out this special track within the justice system is appropriate, and about the risk that veterans outside the intended population might use it to avoid a prison sentence. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/