The Emergence of Veteran's Courts: A Case Study of Delaware's State-Wide Organization
Date
2013-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The goal of this exploratory research is to critically analyze the origins and
purpose of veteran’s courts, including a newly established veteran’s court in
Delaware. This includes how members of the Diversionary Veterans Treatment Court of Delaware work together to provide services to veterans. Specialized veteran courts are relatively new to the criminal justice system and aim to serve veterans with a variety of legal matters. They are unique because they combine the efforts of a judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, Department of Veteran Affairs members, probation officers, and mentoring specialists to establish a treatment plan that will best benefit the veteran. This study will focus on why the veteran treatment court was created in Delaware and the challenges that confronted its creation. Additionally, the study will seek to gain understanding on how this court differs from other specialized courts and the operational practices involved in the courts functioning.