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By Walter F. Roche Jr.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
On the eve of Veterans Day, the first defendants appeared in the inaugural session of an Allegheny County court program aimed at keeping veterans out of jail for nonviolent offenses through a tightly supervised counseling program.
The three men, facing driving under the influence or similar charges, appeared before Common Pleas Judge John A. Zottola shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday.
"This is a chance for you to have someone else look at your case, another set of eyes ... from someone who has been there," Zottola said.
Under the program, defendants will be placed in supervised counseling programs with mentors and report back to Zottola in early December, when they have completed 50 percent of the program.
The mentors, all veterans, "know more about what you're going through than I," Zottola told one of the men, a 43-year-old Army veteran.
The special court is the result of a nearly yearlong effort by government officials and veterans advocates.
Ray Webb, who appeared on behalf of one of the defendants, said the veterans will be placed in programs run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Webb is a volunteer advocate for the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, a driving force in establishing the court.
If the veterans comply with the treatment program, that will be taken under consideration when they come before a judge for sentencing, Webb said. Graduation could lead to dismissal of the charges.
"It's still up to the judge and, if he (the defendant) doesn't comply with the program, then the hammer will come down," Webb said.
"The sentencing judge remains in control," said Common Pleas Judge Michael E. McCarthy, who led judicial efforts to establish the program, said the judge controls the sentence.
"We wanted to do this for Veterans Day," said McCarthy, a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam. "This is a little more than putting a flag out on your lawn."
Court officials have expressed hopes the county program, the first in Pennsylvania, will serve as a state model. Advocates say the program can not only help veterans stay out of jail, but also reduce costs.
Officials estimate about 10 percent of people incarcerated nationally are veterans.
Albert Mercer, executive director of the Veterans Leadership Program, said hundreds of county veterans could be diverted to the program each year and avoid jail time.
District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.'s office sees the program as "a progressive way to improve the system," spokesman Mike Manko said.
McCarthy said funding remains to be resolved, but a pending bill in Congress could provide a permanent funding stream. He said that for the moment, the VA is placing participants in programs already funded.
"The VA has money for these programs, so this actually can save money for the state," he said.
Walter F. Roche Jr. can be reached at wroche@tribweb.com or 412-320-7894.
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