Approximately seven participants of the Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) will be honored for completing the program on November 13. The ceremony, presided over by District Judge Halee Weinstein, will also mark the court's three-year anniversary and coincide with Veteran’s Day celebrations.
Judge Weinstein established VTC in 2015 as a voluntary treatment-based program for veterans charged with misdemeanors and certain felonies. The program aims to enhance public safety by providing coordinated treatment for veterans dealing with substance use disorders or mental health issues. Since its inception, more than 55 participants have successfully completed the program.
The event will feature speeches from United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie Jr. and Kim DeFiori, a U.S. Army veteran and Co-Founder/CEO of Badges United Foundation. Attendees will include family members, judges, prosecutors, and community partners.
Key figures expected at the ceremony include Chief Judge John P. Morrissey of the District Court of Maryland and Baltimore City District Administrative Judge Barbara Baer Waxman.
The graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m., with guests welcome to arrive from 1:45 p.m., at the Eastside District Courthouse in Baltimore.
For those planning to attend or requiring further information, contact can be made through email at [email protected]. Restrictions apply regarding photography inside the courtroom; however, approved still photography and video can be taken outside.
Further details about VTC are available in a video accessible online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibUut-MA_jY