COLUMBIANA, Alabama -- Shelby County Circuit Judge BillBostick asked the five men, all veterans, to line up in front of the podium inthe historic 1854 Courthouse in Columbiana.
Before presenting each of them a specially minted coinrepresenting their achievements in the Shelby County Veterans Treatment Courtand as the program's first graduating class, Bostick told each of them theywould never stand in front of a judge again.
"I am confident of that," he told the men, who together representedthe Vietnam War through post-9/11 era of military service.
Joined by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy S. Moore,Bostick led this afternoon's first-ever graduation ceremony for the specializedpilot program in the state that works to provide certain veterans who run afoulof the law with the help they need to address substance abuse issues.
The program works in conjunction with the VeteransAdministration and participants receive assistance through the governmentorganization while fulfilling substance abuse treatment programs, frequent drugtesting, court appearances that happen every Thursday and other obligations.
While Shelby County's court program is not the first forveterans in Alabama, with ones operating in Birmingham and Montgomery, Bosticksaid the local program that started a year ago has been a "tremendous success"and the idea to develop them throughout the state is a "laudable goal."
Bostick requested the names of the graduates withheldfrom publication. On condition of anonymity, two of the graduates agreed tospeak about their time in the program.
Both men said they graduated from the program after gettingin trouble and becoming involved in other avenues in the court system. Their participation in the VeteransTreatment Court started when the program began a year ago.
"For me, it was the black and white. It was if you dowrong, you're doing time," one veteran said.
"In this one, you mess up once ... you go straight to jail,"the other added.
They expressed the sense of teamwork felt among theformer soldiers in the program and complimented Bostick for not acting as ajudge critical of their behavior, but instead as someone looking to help themovercome their substance abuse issues.
"You could tell from the get go they just wanted to getyou help," one graduate said, appreciative of the Veterans Administration'sinvolvement in the program. "They get you in touch with the right people at theVA."
For soldiers, asking for help is not a common occurrence,they said. "Veterans are very individualized. We don't want the help," onegraduate said.
"It's got a plan in place to set you up to succeed andgive you the tools," another said. "The hardest thing for any of us to do isask for help."
Thanks to the roughly 15 team members in the program whoinclude VA representatives, prosecution and defense attorneys, Shelby CountyCommunity Corrections managers, court officials and others, the participantsreceive support to stay on their treatment path.
Pointing to discussions about creating the veterans court two years ago through a task force's recommendation, AlabamaDepartment of Veterans Affairs Commissioner W. Clyde Marsh attributed theprogram's success so far to the participants themselves.
"You ... made it the success and brought us here today,"Marsh said. "It's a great program and it's for you, the veterans."
Moore told the graduates and the 60 or so people in theaudience that he has witnessed the harmful effects of drugs since the mid-'60s,before he served in the Vietnam War and later as a prosecutor, a judge and afather.
"Everybody has problems. Everybody has certain addictionsyou have to overcome in this life," he said, emphasizing the importance of placingtrust in God to overcome Satan's influence.
"You will, I promise, be attacked," Moore said. "If youdon't rely on God, you can't whip the devil."
Bostick noted the efforts of former Shelby County judgeJ. Michael Joiner, who started the local Drug Court program 10 years ago, andlater the creation of a local mental health court as precursors to the veteransprogram. "They had ended the revolving cycle of use and criminal behavior,"Bostick said of results seen in Drug Court.
He is expecting the same level of success fromthe graduates of the Veterans Treatment Court, whose criminal charges he dismissedat the ceremony's conclusion. Handing each of them their unique coin,the judge gave a final message: "It is just a piece of metal, but Ihope it will remind you of what you accomplished this year."