Veteran’s Court in Pinellas County, FL
In Pinellas County, the Veteran’s Treatment Court (VTC) is held in Courtroom N10 in the Pinellas County Justice Center (CJC) Courthouse. For some misdemeanor cases, special sessions of veteran’s court might be set up at satellite at the C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The benefits of entering veteran’s court might include avoiding a formal conviction by entering a “diversion program” or receiving a “withhold of adjudication.” For veterans with no significant prior criminal record, the accused might avoid prison even when the Florida Criminal Punishment code scoresheet would otherwise require mandatory incarceration if the case was resolved in a regular felony division.
In some cases, the prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office might be willing to reduce the charge from a first or second degree felony to a third degree felony so the accused is eligible for veteran’s court.
Veteran’s Court in Pinellas County, FL, gives the defendant the opportunity to obtain substance abuse or mental health treatment. After being accept into Veteran’s Treatment Court, an evaluation is conducted to see what treatment might be most appropriate. The veteran then agrees to complete the required counseling as part of a negotiated disposition. The court might schedule a “status check” every four weeks. During the status check, the court is updated on the participants progress in counseling.
Eligibility requirements include:
- being a veteran of the United States military;
- being charged with a misdemeanor or third-degree felony;
- showing the criminal charge stems from an underlying physical or psychological issues caused or contributed by the individual’s military service;
- submitting to an evaluation to determine the appropriate treatment plan; and
- agreeing to a negotiated disposition to resolve the case with ongoing supervision until all required tasks are completed.
Attorney for Veteran’s Court in Pinellas County, FL
If you are a veteran facing a misdemeanor or felony charge in Pinellas County, FL, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Sammis Law Firm to discus your unique situation.
We can explain the charge pending against you, the elements that must be proven at trial, the best defenses to the charge, and programs like Veteran’s Court if you want to negotiate the best possible outcome short of trial.
We can explain the pros and cons of entering veteran’s court, and all other options available.
Call (727) 210-7004.
Misdemeanor Veterans Court on March 28, 2026
Administrative Order No. 2026-009 PI-CTY appointed judges to hear certain misdemeanors and local ordinance violations for veterans at a satellite location. This satellite location helps reduce the number of outstanding non-violent misdemeanor warrants and warrants for failure to appear for local ordinance violations for Veterans in Pinellas County. It also provides assistance to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ efforts in reaching out to homeless Veterans.
This misdemeanor veterans court is held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at C.W. Bill Young VAMC, Bldg. 2, 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard, Bay Pines, Florida, 33744.
The judges assigned to this satellite location include the Honorable Joseph Lawhorne and the Honorable Diane Croff who are authorized to hear any local ordinance violation case, any non-violent misdemeanor case, and any other misdemeanor case in which the victim has been notified and the State Attorney’s Office has agreed to the case being heard during the proceedings on March 28, 2026, involving a Veteran. At that location, the court is authorized to:
- to accept a plea to a misdemeanor or local ordinance violation;
- withdraw a warrant or capias and set the matter for subsequent hearing;
- otherwise dispose of misdemeanors with the consent of the State Attorney and defense attorney; resolve fines on closed felony cases, and
- otherwise dispose of local ordinance violations as appropriate.
This article was last updated on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
