Comments on: From the Battlefield to Prison http://thecrimereport.org/2009/11/10/from-the-battlefield-to-prison-troubled-soldiers-and-the-u-s-justice-system/ If You Read It Here, It's A Crime Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:38:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: cara http://thecrimereport.org/2009/11/10/from-the-battlefield-to-prison-troubled-soldiers-and-the-u-s-justice-system/comment-page-1/#comment-1720 cara Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:49 +0000 http://thecrimereport.org/?p=32503#comment-1720 Thanks for this reply. Thanks for this reply.

]]> By: Mike http://thecrimereport.org/2009/11/10/from-the-battlefield-to-prison-troubled-soldiers-and-the-u-s-justice-system/comment-page-1/#comment-1684 Mike Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:54:37 +0000 http://thecrimereport.org/?p=32503#comment-1684 Prior to leaving my job as an assistant public defender, I represented a handful of veterans - one from the most recent invasion of Iraq, one from the first invasion of Iraq and one from the invasion of Vietnam. There were a few others, but these three were the people I got to know the most. Having grown up in a military family, I could relate to each of them and was quickly able to instill a sense of trust. My dad is a Vietnam Vet so that helped tremendously. VA reps need to fan out and meet with as many public defender offices as possible. I know this was happening in upstate New York, where I was, and it needs to continue. Most importantly, in my opinion, VA reps need to meet with DAs, cops and judges just as much if not more often. Generally, I think these members of the criminal justice system are more likely to be cheerleaders for war and much less likely to be inclined to do anything about the problems vets face when they come home. Case in point: the Vietnam Vet I represented was charged with a violation, less serious than a misdemeanor, but his case floated around in the court for almost six months. The judge didn't flag this guy and the assistant district attorney was oblivious. Because the court was so clogged, which is another issue, court personnel missed him as well. I have no idea what they told him, but I know that almost six months after his name first appeared on the docket, he showed up again, having been told by the judge that he was not doing whatever the judge told him to do and that he needed to appear in court. I recognized his name and remembered that the police report said he was a vet. They all knew he was a vet, it was all over the police report and this guy was constantly saying "I'm a vet, I'm sick, I'm an alcoholic, etc. etc." It took me one day to get him into a program and pointed in the right direction. I got his case dismissed on speedy trial grounds. He needed someone to stick with him, not a bunch of cowards who just passed the buck. That he got lost in the system and had NO IDEA what was happening is absolutely sickening and totally morally reprehensible. If the VA really had its act together, vets would have access to appointed defense counsel who specialize in handling these sorts of cases. And that's just one stupid little violation. It amazes me that people can advocate brutal warfare and then ignore the consequences, especially criminal "justice" and "law" enforcement personnel who are sworn to uphold the public's trust. Maybe on some really deep level they do the same thing in their jobs, because anyone who had done this work knows it is brutal. But their refusal to see any humanity in the people they demonize and arrest is their downfall. Unfortunately, that demonization extends to the very people they so righteously define as heroes. Prior to leaving my job as an assistant public defender, I represented a handful of veterans – one from the most recent invasion of Iraq, one from the first invasion of Iraq and one from the invasion of Vietnam. There were a few others, but these three were the people I got to know the most.

Having grown up in a military family, I could relate to each of them and was quickly able to instill a sense of trust. My dad is a Vietnam Vet so that helped tremendously.

VA reps need to fan out and meet with as many public defender offices as possible. I know this was happening in upstate New York, where I was, and it needs to continue.

Most importantly, in my opinion, VA reps need to meet with DAs, cops and judges just as much if not more often. Generally, I think these members of the criminal justice system are more likely to be cheerleaders for war and much less likely to be inclined to do anything about the problems vets face when they come home.

Case in point: the Vietnam Vet I represented was charged with a violation, less serious than a misdemeanor, but his case floated around in the court for almost six months. The judge didn’t flag this guy and the assistant district attorney was oblivious. Because the court was so clogged, which is another issue, court personnel missed him as well. I have no idea what they told him, but I know that almost six months after his name first appeared on the docket, he showed up again, having been told by the judge that he was not doing whatever the judge told him to do and that he needed to appear in court. I recognized his name and remembered that the police report said he was a vet. They all knew he was a vet, it was all over the police report and this guy was constantly saying “I’m a vet, I’m sick, I’m an alcoholic, etc. etc.”

It took me one day to get him into a program and pointed in the right direction. I got his case dismissed on speedy trial grounds. He needed someone to stick with him, not a bunch of cowards who just passed the buck. That he got lost in the system and had NO IDEA what was happening is absolutely sickening and totally morally reprehensible. If the VA really had its act together, vets would have access to appointed defense counsel who specialize in handling these sorts of cases.

And that’s just one stupid little violation. It amazes me that people can advocate brutal warfare and then ignore the consequences, especially criminal “justice” and “law” enforcement personnel who are sworn to uphold the public’s trust. Maybe on some really deep level they do the same thing in their jobs, because anyone who had done this work knows it is brutal. But their refusal to see any humanity in the people they demonize and arrest is their downfall. Unfortunately, that demonization extends to the very people they so righteously define as heroes.

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