Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court
Encyclopedia
The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court is a judicial "veterans' court
" which was first established in 2008 in Buffalo, New York
, USA, as part of the Erie County
court system. The court, which bills itself as a "hybrid drug and mental health court", is considered the first of its kind in American law services, and was established in order to provide a civil court which tries cases involving veterans of the United States Armed Forces
, based upon the belief that a large proportion of veterans from present and past conflicts have experienced hardships which are unique to their former service in the military.
The current judge of the court is Justice Robert T. Russell
.
Veterans' court
A veterans' court is a "special court" which is charged with trying cases of minor offenses which involve veterans of militaries such as the United States Armed Forces, particularly those diagnosed with service-related illnesses...
" which was first established in 2008 in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, USA, as part of the Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
court system. The court, which bills itself as a "hybrid drug and mental health court", is considered the first of its kind in American law services, and was established in order to provide a civil court which tries cases involving veterans of the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, based upon the belief that a large proportion of veterans from present and past conflicts have experienced hardships which are unique to their former service in the military.
The current judge of the court is Justice Robert T. Russell
Robert T. Russell
Robert T. Russell, Jr. is a City Court Judge in Buffalo, New York. He is credited with creating the first "veterans' court" in the United States. A veterans' court is a type of "special court" that is designed to accommodate issues that are unique to veterans, such as Post Traumatic Stress...
.