GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Veterans Court in the Sussex County Courthouse celebrated their one-hundredth graduate from the Delaware Veterans Treatment Court Program.
The graduation began at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday with Judge Craig Karsnitz acknowledging a number of people, including judges and mentors that helped build the program into what it is today.
The program is used to divert veterans charged with non-violent felonies and misdemeanor crimes away from jail and into rehabilitative programs. Charles Marshall is one of two of the graduates from Thursday's ceremony. Marshall says the program provided him with something new.
"I got a different perspective in the penal system," said Marshall. "My confidence is up, my self esteem is at an all time high."
Veteran and program mentor, Edmund Burke, says he takes a personal approach with each veteran that may be interested in opting in to this program.
"I would not use a generic argument to get them to come. I'd want to sit down and find out what their offense was, what their personal situation was, and then come up with a recommendation."
Once a veteran completes the program, if they were not yet convicted, charges will be dismissed. If the vet was already convicted, their probation may be terminated.
The program is at least six months and it is optional. Not all veterans facing charges choose to go through this program.
Charles Marshall and another man both graduated on Thursday and to celebrate both men, Judge Karsnitz decided to acknowledge and celebrate both men as the one-hundredth graduate.
