The “Veterans Treatment Court” of the Medina Municipal Court has earned final certification from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets. It is Medina County’s first specialized docket devoted to veterans.
In order to receive the certification, the Medina Municipal Court had to submit an application and undergo a site visit by Commission personnel. Program requirements included developing specific materials that satisfy certification standards that went into effect in January 2014.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor congratulated the Medina Municipal Court and Judge Gary F. Werner for receiving final certification. “Specialized dockets divert offenders toward criminal justice initiatives that employ tools and tailored services to treat and rehabilitate the offender so they can become productive members of society,” said Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. “Studies have shown this approach works by reducing recidivism while saving tax dollars.”
Specialized dockets are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders. They employ a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. There are more than 210 specialized dockets in Ohio courts that deal with issues such as Drugs and Alcohol, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking.
The Supreme Court of Ohio’s standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio. The standards also allow local courts to innovate and tailor to meet their community’s needs and resources. “Our Veterans Court certification follows a tremendous effort by our court personnel, and by an expanding group of enthusiastic and engaged community stakeholders and professionals,” said Judge Werner, the Administrative Judge overseeing the Veterans Treatment Court. “We are all very anxious to increase access to this program’s broad range of services for those local veterans who end up in our court system.”
The certification requirements include establishing program eligibility requirements and evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket. The program must also assemble a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, court personnel, and is headed by the specialized docket judge.
The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members. The Commission advises the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the promotion of statewide rules and uniform standards for specialized dockets in Ohio courts. The Commission also focuses on the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The Commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.
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Medina Municipal Court is the largest of Medina County’s two municipal courts. Its territory includes 11 of the County’s 17 townships and the cities and villages incorporated in those townships.
Press Contact:
Matt Esterle, Chief Probation Officer and VTC Program Coordinator