Brazoria County Veterans Court

Brazoria County runs a veterans treatment court under Government Code chapter 124; see the Texas entry. Judge Jessica Pulcher of the 149th District Court presides, and cases are administratively transferred to the Veterans Court while staying under the jurisdiction of the District Court or County Court at Law where they were filed. It takes felony and misdemeanour offences. How it works. The programme is a pre-plea track or a probation track and lasts at least 14 months, in four phases (Hope, Courage, Strength and Commitment), with hearings on the second and fourth Tuesdays and case manager meetings. The team is the judge, defence lawyer, prosecutor, Veterans Court officer, community supervision officer and VA's Veterans Justice Outreach specialist; a trained veteran mentor coaches each participant. Participants have appointed defence counsel throughout. The programme fee is up to $750, paid in weekly instalments that rise from $10 to $20 through the phases, and can be adjusted to the participant's finances; chapter 124 allows up to $1,000. Who, by the court's rules. Charged in Brazoria County; a veteran, on active duty, or in the Reserves, National Guard or State Guard; with a service-related brain injury, mental illness or mental disorder or military sexual trauma, or whose participation is likely to protect public safety through rehabilitation. The application needs the DD-214 and VA form 10-5345. Applications go to the coordinator through the defence lawyer, and the trial judge decides. Rules the statute does not set. - A discharge test: active duty, or an honorable or general discharge. Chapter 124 has none. - Residence in Brazoria County or an adjoining county. - Exclusions for prior or pending sex offences, pending charges of manufacturing or delivering drugs, and anyone who has already graduated from a veterans court. The handbook lists the sex offences by Article 42.12, section 13B(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which the Legislature replaced with chapter 42A from January 1, 2017. Contact. The June 2024 brochure names Veterans Court Coordinator Jennifer Grupe (979-864-1943, [email protected]); the Office of Court Administration's specialty court registry of October 1, 2026 lists Kimberly Khoury ([email protected]), who coordinates the County's other specialty courts too.