Judges on duty to promote esprit de court

One by one, armed-forces veterans troubled by alcohol, drugs, anger or other issues stood before an Army Reserve officer in Municipal Court yesterday afternoon.

Judge Patrick Dugan, a Reserve captain with time in Iraq and Afghanistan, thanked each man for his service and bantered with one about whose airborne division is better - his 82nd or the defendant's 101st.

The judge traded war stories with another man over how treacherous conditions were in Iraq, then switched gears to firmly caution him to heed the court's order concerning his domestic-violence case.

Welcome to Philadelphia Veterans Court.

Housed in courtroom 1003 at the Criminal Justice Center each Wednesday, the "problem-solving" court began operating Jan. 6. It was formally launched during a ceremony yesterday.

Dugan and Municipal Judge Joseph Waters, a Marine veteran, are presiding judges.

Twenty such courts have opened around the country - including in Pittsburgh and Scranton - since January 2008.

Designed to address the growing number of veterans caught up in the criminal-justice system, the court provides those facing misdemeanor charges with a range of services, including referrals to the Veterans Administration for possible help with housing, job training, job referrals and treatment for alcohol, drug, mental-health or medical issues.

Veterans also can be paired with fellow vet mentors, court-trained volunteers who will help them get back on track.

"When you're in the military, an expression that everyone uses is, 'Leave no one behind,' " Dugan said during an interview.

"That's extended from the battlefield. We're not just talking about Vietnam or Normandy or Fallujah. We're talking about the mean streets of Philadelphia," he said. "We want to reach back and grab these guys and pick them up off the ground."

One of the first to get that helping hand was Raymond M. Deering, 66, a retired ranger who served in Korea and stateside from 1965 to 1969. In January he was arrested in West Philadelphia on a DUI charge.

Yesterday, Deering, a recently laid-off bank executive, was accepted into the court program and signed a contract stipulating that if he complies with all conditions, the charges will be dismissed after one year. He'll get to keep his driver's license and his record will be wiped clean, said attorney Stephen J. Schukraft.

Deering, of Delaware County, said he traces his drinking problem to the loss of his job in May and now hopes to mentor other veterans who are going through the same problem.

"I'll reach out to anybody," said Deering, who believes the military culture trains veterans not to ask for help.

"We're all men - we're tough guys," he said. "You can't open up because when you open up and your superior officer finds out, now you're in trouble," he said. "Now they look at you as a weak guy and they're not going to promote you and give you responsibilities."