San Francisco Veterans Justice Court

The Veterans Justice Court began in April 2013 as a calendar of the Community Justice Center and has been a stand-alone collaborative court of the Superior Court since January 2015, run with VA, the District Attorney, the Public Defender, the Department of Public Health, the Human Services Agency, Adult Probation and the Sheriff. It offers substance use and mental health treatment, medical help, education or job training and legal support, under the State statutes on military diversion and treatment (Penal Code sections 1001.80 and 1170.9); see the California entry. Who it takes. Veterans with criminal cases in San Francisco, regardless of where they live; participation is voluntary. The team confirms military service and VA eligibility. A veteran with VA benefits is treated through the San Francisco VA Medical Center; one without is case managed through the Pretrial Diversion Project, so VA eligibility is not a condition. If service cannot be confirmed the court waits for a DD-214. Each participant meets weekly with a veteran peer mentor. The court's 2021 fact sheet put the programme at 9 to 18 months. Legal eligibility (guidelines of June 2017). Most misdemeanours enter before a plea; driving offences, gang, hate crime, domestic violence, demonstration, elder abuse, child and gun cases enter only after probation is granted. Felonies sentenced under Penal Code section 1170(h) enter before a plea; the District Attorney may offer deferred entry of judgment on others; the rest enter after probation. Three or more open cases mean post-probation entry unless the District Attorney waives it. Completing the programme can bring dismissal and sealing for pre-plea cases, withdrawal of the plea and dismissal or a felony reduced to a misdemeanour for post-plea cases, and shorter probation for probation cases. How to get in. Any criminal court can refer a veteran. Ask defence counsel, or contact the Veterans Court Coordinator, 850 Bryant Street ([email protected]).