Texas court offers rehabilitation program to help military veterans who broke the law

Members of the U.S. military returning to civilian life have encountered a range of challenges, from joblessness to post-traumatic stress disorder. Now for those who run afoul of the law there is a program operating in Fort Worth, Texas, meant to put them on a path toward rehabilitation.

The Tarrant County Courthouse operates the Veterans Treatment Court every third Thursday of the month. Rather than imposing incarceration, Judge Chuck Vanover administers a rehabilitation program that offers veterans a bargain that puts their guilty pleas on hold if they they sign up with a mentor, show up every month and stay out of trouble.

Vanover, who serves in the Texas State Guard, requires that the veterans' court takes a minimum of 10 months. Veterans who complete the mission walk away with their criminal charge expunged — any trace of it wiped from their record.