Smith County Veterans Court to Add Felony Cases

TYLER — After starting the Veterans Treatment Court for misdemeanor offenders, Smith County Veteran Services Officer Mike Roark is working to begin a program for some felony cases. According to a county news release, the purpose of the court is to work with veterans charged with certain offenses to get them necessary treatment for any mental health issues and to return them to being productive members of society. Three people have successfully completed the Veterans Treatment Court since the program for misdemeanor offenders began in 2015. One person has had their record expunged and one is going through the process, Roark said.

The felony Veterans Treatment Court has already been approved by the Smith County Council of District Judges and Council of County Court-at-Law Judges. Roark said they are waiting for all of the necessary parties to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for it to get started. Roark has researched and is modeling the felony court after Montgomery County’s program. It will be a two-year program. Participants will be required to report to the court at least twice a month in the beginning of their treatment plans. Eventually, the defendants will appear before a judge every 90 days for a status update, he said.

Felony probationers will be assigned to a probation officer with the Smith County Adult Probation Department. According to Roark, felony offenses that will not be eligible for the program include murder; sexual assault; aggravated kidnapping; abuse of a child, elderly person, or disabled person; or selling drugs. Roark said he believes his office could take up to 10 to 15 people in the misdemeanor Veterans Treatment Court, presided over by County Court-at-Law No. 2 Judge Randall Rogers, or five to 10 people in the felony Veterans Treatment Court, which will be presided over by 114th District Judge Christi Kennedy.