Marion County Veterans Treatment Court

The Fifth Judicial Circuit runs the Marion County Veterans Treatment Court as a division of the county's courts, under section 394.47891 of the Florida Statutes, the T. Patt Maney Veterans' Treatment Intervention Act; see the Florida entry. It serves people arrested in Marion County with a mental illness, substance use disorder or other mental health condition related to service, who choose treatment over the ordinary process. Who. An "Eligible Veteran Defendant", who carries the burden of proving that status, for example with a DD-214, and must be represented by a lawyer. All misdemeanor defendants are eligible, though a DUI case comes in only through sentencing. Felony defendants are eligible except for the felonies listed in section 948.06(8)(c), as section 948.08(7) provides for diversion, and any felony DUI, an exclusion the statute does not make. Ways in. A misdemeanor case enters through a deferred prosecution agreement with the State Attorney approved by the court, a sentence requiring graduation, or a transfer under section 910.035(5) approved by the court's judge. A felony case enters through a pretrial intervention agreement or veterans court contract with the State Attorney approved by the circuit court, a sentence, or a transfer. Violation of probation cases can be transferred with the sentencing judge's approval, and a sentence can be modified into the programme under rule 3.800(c) with the judge, the State Attorney and the defendant agreeing. The programme involves regular court appearances, treatment and random testing, with volunteer veteran mentors. The circuit publishes the policy manual, brochure, application and an attorney's guide.