Mission Statement

The mission of the DeKalb County Veterans Treatment court is to recognize, acknowledge service, and enhance public safety by providing a judicially supervised regimen of substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment to justice-involved veterans with goal of returning restored law-abiding citizens to the community and thereby closing the “revolving door” to the criminal justice system. 

 

Summary

The DeKalb County Veterans’ Treatment Court began serving veterans in DeKalb County in March, 2018 as an alternative to traditional case processing of veteran offenders.  The veterans’ court targets offenders who meet the eligibility criteria.  It is a voluntary program in which eligible offenders participate in an intense, multi-phase treatment program, submit to frequent drug testing and attend self-help meetings while under the supervision of the veterans’ court judge.  Participants must attend services for a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 36 months.  Successful participants will have their charges dismissed, have their felony reduced to a misdemeanor or they will not have a further sentence imposed. 

 The DeKalb County Veterans’ Treatment Court is a docket within DeKalb Circuit Court.  The Honorable Kurt Grimm presides over the Veterans’ Court.  The administrative office of the DeKalb County Veterans’ Treatment Court is located in the DeKalb County Probation Department.  Veterans’ Court is in session every other Thursday afternoon.  Veterans will be scheduled to appear in court as ordered by the court.   

DeKalb County Veterans' Court Team MembersVeteran's Court Team Members

DeKalb County Veterans’ Court Team members are, in front, from left, DeKalb County Sheriff David Cserep; patrol Deputy Bret Parker; case manager Nickolas Spade; case manager Luis Loera; DeKalb Circuit Judge Kurt B. Grimm and defense attorney Adam Squiller. In back, from left, are DeKalb Superior Court I Judge Kevin P. Wallace; DeKalb County Prosecutor’s Office investigator Lonnie Lanning; DeKalb County Chief Probation Officer Michael Lapham; assistant chief probation officer Ryan Hull; pre-trial services coordinator Quentin Young; DeKalb County Prosecutor ClaraMary Winebrenner; and DeKalb Superior Court II Judge Monte L. Brown. Team members not pictured are deputy prosecutor Joshua Byanski; veterans’ justice outreach specialist Rita Wynn; and Tamara Goodman of the Fort Wayne Vet Center.