Muscogee County's Veterans Treatment Court, in the Government Center, is a post-adjudication, five-phase programme of at least 18 months for veterans 18 or older with a moderate or severe substance use disorder, charged with a non-violent drug-related crime. Its rules add county residence and U.S. citizenship to what section 15-1-17 requires.
Also called: veterans court, VTC, veterans treatment court, accountability court, 15-1-17, Columbus, Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, Superior Court, drug court.
The court is a veterans court division under Code section 15-1-17 (see the Georgia entry), run by the Superior Court's Department of Accountability Courts with the District Attorney, the Public Defender, the Department of Community Supervision and New Horizons Behavioral Health. Judge Ben Richardson presides; sessions are every other Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Government Center, 100 10th Street, Columbus (Tower, ground floor; 706-225-3597). The State's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council funds the County's drug, mental health and veterans courts; on February 10, 2026 Council approved the application for $650,000 for July 2026 to June 2027 (Resolution 030-26).
Who. The court's page says the programme is "for Veterans 18 years of age or older who are charged with drug-related non-violent crimes" who "must have served time in the military", have a substance use disorder diagnosed as moderate or severe, score above low on a validated risk assessment, live within the court's jurisdiction and are U.S. citizens. A mental health diagnosis does not bar entry if the participant follows a counsellor's recommendations.
Where that is narrower than the law. Section 15-1-17 defines a veteran as any former member of the armed forces or a state's National Guard, bars only murder, armed robbery, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery and child molestation charges, and leaves the rest to the court's work plan. The residence and citizenship rules and the limit to drug-related charges are this court's own.
The programme. Post-adjudication: after legal screening by the Assistant District Attorney and a clinical assessment, the participant enters a plea. Five phases over at least 18 months, an individual treatment plan, drug testing at the court's lab, and short progress reviews with the judge in open court. Anyone, including the defendant, can make a referral. The page publishes no fee.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Muscogee County Veterans Treatment Court
Gate
Rule
Veteran with a substance use disorder and a drug-related charge
Military service, age 18, a moderate or severe substance use disorder, a non-violent drug-related charge, county residence and U.S. citizenship. No rating or discharge test is published.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.