Should Veterans receive special treatment in Court after committing a crime?

Yes I can see in some cases where a combat Veteran came home and has PTSD or other military situations may need special consideration. We have a decorated combat Veteran in our community that was medically discharged for PTSD. The military never told his family, police, sheriff, VA, or anyone ells that he was even coming home much less why. With in months of his getting home someone set him off and he killed the individual. In the course of investigating the Veteran and his situation it was found that his 1st Sgt. feared for his life when he was around this Veteran as he thought he was in Afghanistan. He now is in jail and scares the guards. He starts yelling at all hours of the day and night calling in firing missions and the like. He hits the floor if a door is slammed. The other prisoners fear him because as they put it "he's a bomb waiting to go off". Since he has been incarcerated he has received no mental health appointments, and has been taken off all medication that the Army had put him on to help control his PTSD. I have had to educate the local law enforcement on how to properly handle him. No one in this area including the defenders office know anything about the military much less PTSD and what can happen if untreated. The local judge has called me numerous times to ask questions, and get phone numbers of VA doctors that can help him out. So in short yes we need to at very least educate the local judicial system on proper handling of Veterans.

A crime is a crime whether you're military, ex military or you never served. Military and ex military should set a positive example.

However I would understand if for minor crimes on a case by case basis that if found guilty they got a reduced sentence, but on the same token for more serious crimes, also on a case by case basis, some may need a harsher punishment.

That's just my opinion, but I think this is a great discussion topic.

Nobody should get special treatment in court because they are a veteran. It should be taken into account, to possibly try and decide on a persons intentions and/consequences. Just like it shouldn't matter if you grew up poor or you are a college grad. How would vets feel if the justice system were harder on them because we are suppose to be honorable and honest, etc.

Absolutely not. A Service Member should be held accountable for their actions and poor decision making abilities just like everyone else. I have been serving proudly in the US Army for over 21 years now, and I see people that try to take advantage of their “veteran status”, whether they are active or not too often when they are in some sort of trouble with the law. Service Members and Veterans NEED to be held to a higher standard not have their issues and troubles be “taken care of”.

All behavior is learned. Of course the Veteran should and need and should get special consideration. Training re education what ever they need they should get. We have asked no more of any command, In War, in our entire nations history, Other then the Revolution, The Civil War, and now The war on Terror. It is It's self a new style of War. One that consumes nations in fear. And you bother to even ask if they should get special help. YES and Then some. You go and do what they had to do for there country and try being on your on. That is the bases of suicide.

I don't believe we should get special treatment if you commit a crime.

I believe there are distinct levels of delineation with respect to why they are in court. Capital crimes are held at a different level than a misdemeanor. There should be separate evaluations for the veterans in case a little bit of help is useful in helping a veteran through their particular situational difficulty so they can correct behavior and become a productive human being, as opposed to another lost soul who served.

I think that this all depends on the crime. If it is someone that has a significant criminal history then the answer is no. i have been deployed three times at two different locations and this dose not mean I should be allowed to break the law. if you have a Sm that the crime was caused due to a health problem then maybe the answer would be at this point be yes. So again it all depends on the crime.

I think that this all depends on the crime. If it is someone that has a significant criminal history then the answer is no. i have been deployed three times at two different locations and this dose not mean I should be allowed to break the law. if you have a Sm that the crime was caused due to a health problem then maybe the answer would be at this point be yes. So again it all depends on the crime.

I think that this all depends on the crime. If it is someone that has a significant criminal history then the answer is no. i have been deployed three times at two different locations and this dose not mean I should be allowed to break the law. if you have a Sm that the crime was caused due to a health problem then maybe the answer would be at this point be yes. So again it all depends on the crime.