Lawrence County Treatment Court: Veterans Track

Pennsylvania's veterans courts and tracks are problem-solving courts of the county's judicial district; the Pennsylvania entry explains them. The Unified Judicial System's list of treatment courts as of September 14, 2026 lists Lawrence's adult drug court (2012) with a veterans track, and its mental health court (2015); Lawrence has no separate veterans court. The track. The court's 2024 Manual (revised January 2024): "In January 2022, the Lawrence County Treatment Court Program expanded to include a Veterans Track. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria and who have served as a member of the Armed Forces for the United States may be eligible for a specialized Veterans track. Through participation in the Veterans Track, eligible veterans have access to a comprehensive treatment plan through the Department of Veterans Affairs and/or community providers ... The Veteran participant will be matched with a Veteran mentor." On who counts: "Any individuals who have served time in the Armed Forces may be eligible for participation in the Veterans track. We do not adhere to the federal guidelines or Department of Veterans Affairs definitions for Veterans status, but rather look at the time spent in the military and reason for discharge." The VJO coordinator or the county Veterans Office gathers the service and discharge records. The September 2024 Handbook names the VA's Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator (Christina Lucas) and the county's director as Veterans Mentor Coordinator (Jesse Putnam), and holds the Veteran's Track status hearings every Thursday at 8:45 a.m. before President Judge Dominick Motto in Courtroom 1; Veterans Track participants take Moral Reconation Therapy through the VA. Who is eligible. The court is post-plea and pre-sentence, and also takes probation and parole violators. The applicant must have "a verifiable history of severe substance abuse and/or a recently diagnosed (within the last 2 years) major mental health diagnosis", be a Lawrence County resident aged 18 or over with a non-violent history, score high-risk and high-need on the assessment, and volunteer. Murder, manslaughter, sex offences and violent felonies are excluded; ARD-eligible cases, new DUI charges and prior felony drug-delivery convictions are not taken; more than three felony counts or a long felony record may exclude. The District Attorney makes the final call on the team's recommendation. The programme runs five phases, with minimum lengths adding up to about 17 months. The outcome. "Individuals who enter the Treatment Court Program on the basis of new criminal charges, and successfully complete the Program in its entirety are eligible to have their cases nolle prossed and expunged once all court costs, fines, and restitution is paid in full." Violators who finish get less jail time or an early end to supervision instead. How to apply. The defence lawyer files the Treatment Court Application with the releases it lists (a VA release is required of every applicant) with the Treatment Court Coordinator, Marc Zingaro, Adult Probation, lower level of the Domestic Relations building across from the Courthouse, New Castle; 724-614-1113, [email protected].