Post Traumatic stress disorder is a popular defense these days. With the establishment of veterans courts around the country, courts are seeing more and more defenses to crimes based upon combat service in the military. Here in Los Angeles there is a Veteran’s Court in Downtown LA run by a fantastic superior court judge. Judge Michael Tynan will cut your the brakes you deserve. However, just as quickly, he will send you to prison for not following the rules. Judge Tynan is running LA County’s veteran’s court and he is doing a bang up job.
If a criminal defendant is lucky enough to have their case referred to the Vet court, they will likely be able to avoid jail time, and get their conviction set aside after successfully completing the program that is laid out for them during their tenure in vet court.
The Los Angeles Superior Court Veteran’s Court is only located in downtown Los Angeles at the Criminal courts building located at 210 W. Temple in Los Angeles. It is only in recent weeks that the court started accepting referral cases from other courthouses in the county. In order to get sent to Vet Court, your home District Attorney and Judge must both agree to release the case and let you go.
Once in Vet Court, the VA reps will interview you and make a recommendation for the type of help they feel you need. This often recommends in-patient drug therapy. If you as a criminal defendant are willing to put up with the type of treatment, you might find that you end up avoiding jail, clearing probation early and getting your case expunged quickly and affordably.
If you have questions about Vet Court or any other criminal matter, call me: (818) 783-5700