Veterans Court 17th Judicial Circuit Court - Interview with Emily Behnke Deputy Court Administrator Specialized Court Programs

In this episode we review a Specialized Court Program for Veteran's, Veterans Court.

17th Judicial Circuit Court Winnebago County and Boone County - Veterans Court

The Winnebago County Veterans Court was established in 2012 to help rebuild the lives of Veterans who are charged with felony or misdemeanor offenses who have an underlying substance use disorder or mental illness.  The mission of the Veterans Court is to provide structure and support to Veterans suffering from a diagnosable and treatable behavioral health issue while simultaneously promoting public safety, through a collaboration of veterans' services, community services and the court system.

The Veterans Treatment Court Act provides statutory eligibility information.  Participants must be willing to consent to participate and have a pending felony or misdemeanor matter that is eligible by statute and programmatic eligibility.  Any holds for parole or other jurisdictions need to be resolved prior to referral. 

For more information about the Veterans Court program, please review the Participant Handbook. 

Veterans Court Participant Handbook

To refer an individual to the Veterans Court program, complete the referral form below and return it to the Problem-Solving Courts. 

Veterans Court Referral Form

The Veterans Court program utilizes Veteran Mentors.  For more information on the Veterans Court Mentor program, please see the Veterans Court Mentor Handbook.

For questions regarding referrals, please contact Kathryn Smith, Veterans Court Coordinator at 815-319-4805 or PSC Referrals.