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San Francisco Creates Court Only for Veterans

A California court system that emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment for those accused of low-level crimes has created a weekly offshoot to hear cases involving veterans.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Community Justice Center in San Francisco has put 60 veterans through its veterans court program since it was started about a year ago.


It recently received a $350,000 federal grant that will allow it to move to the Hall of Justice and expand to handle crimes such as drug use and domestic violence that often affect people who have served on active duty.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Cynthia Ming-mei Lee said she helped create the veterans court after realizing that veterans were different from the other defendants she encountered.

The veterans-only court holds its hearings on Wednesday afternoon.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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