SAN ANTONIO – Hundreds of veterans who commit a crime are given a chance to clean their record, improve their mental health, and take control of their future through the Veterans Treatment Court.
Judge Wayne Christian served his last docket Wednesday after being on the bench since the court’s conception in 2011. He has helped 773 veterans through pre-trial diversion services.
Veteran Jesus Landaverde is one of those Christian helped during his time on the bench.
“Appreciate this program as a second chance at life at whatever you want to,” Landaverde said.
Landaverde said he was in a bad place and facing a misdemeanor last year.
Veterans battling PTSD or substance disorders are often arrested for DWI or minor assault. But after a year of court-appointed mental health services, among other requisites, they can get their case dismissed.
Landaverde graduated from the program today and said he is more mature and aware.
“Life is more clear. I am stronger. I’m mentally strong,” Landaverde said.
The program started with only two graduates, and it’s expanded to the largest Veterans Treatment Court in the country.
Specialty misdemeanor courts typically have a 30% recidivism rate, but Christian’s court only has a 10% recidivism rate.
“We do everything we can to ensure that whatever they got in trouble for the first time is not going to happen again, and to do that, we have to change the way they think about whatever caused the trouble in the first place,” Christian said.
With that kind of record, Christian said he loved watching veterans grow but could not do it without the support of his all-veteran staff.
“I give them my personal phone number. If they can’t get anybody else to talk to, they can talk to me about that sort of thing, so I think it’s very clear to them that we care for them, and we’re doing what’s in their best interest,” Christian said.
Next year, Erica Dominguez, who volunteered for the position, will take the specialty court. She is a veteran who served in the Air Force.