Veteran’s Day is around the corner, and there is one courtroom in Clark County trying to make a difference for veterans caught in the criminal justice system. Veteran Randy Lewis has been attending Veterans Court trying to get his life back on track, and he’s been successfully sober for one year.
“This is my life. I mean who wants to live a life of drugs man? I want to be a productive member of society like most everyone else wants to be and it's important to me and this program has been a gateway for me to return to that,” Lewis said.
Judge Linda Bell presides over Veteran’s Court in District Court. It is now a stand-alone courtroom that grew out of Drug Court. It’s been operating on its own for about two months, focusing solely on Veterans with criminal charges to help them get their lives together. Judge Bell says often they are coping with their problems through substance abuse.
“I think it's a very difficult transition that vets have such a hard time making and sometimes they self-medicate to make the whole thing easier,” Bell said.
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