Veterans Treatment Courts

Veterans and Military Families in California Courts

Veterans treatment courts target the root causes of veterans' criminal behavior. The goal of these courts is to resolve criminal cases through treatment and support. In these courts, veterans take part in a program tailored to address their needs. As part of the program, participants meet frequently with a judicial officer, other veterans, treatment providers, mentors, and support teams.

Disclaimer: This webpage is for informational purposes only. It does not give legal advice, discuss individual cases, or provide referrals to specific lawyers and VTC programs.

Eligibility Requirements

Are You Eligible for Veterans Treatment Court?

Important: Having a case moved to a VTC must usually be done through a court order from the judge in the case, and not by contacting the VTC directly. If you are a veteran and have a criminal case, please consult with your attorney to find out whether you can participate in a VTC.

VTCs accept all military branches – including reserves and the National Guard. Eligibility requirements vary by county, but most VTCs accept certain types of felony or misdemeanor cases and require participants to:

  • Have served in the military,
  • Plead guilty in a criminal case,
  • Be experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), substance or other diagnosed disorders, and
  • Agree to participate in a 15 - 18-month program.

Veterans Treatment Court Eligibility Flowchart

   Other Resources                  Veterans Services              You May Be Eligible

Veterans Treatment Courts in California

Important: This section is intended to assist you in determining whether your county has a VTC. California currently has VTCs in the counties listed below with more under consideration/development.


 

County Location Contact

Alameda

Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, Dept. 107
661 Washington Street
Oakland, CA 94607

Gavin O'Neill

Butte

Butte County Courthouse
1 Court Street
Oroville, CA 95965

Leo Battle

Calaveras

County Veteran Services
400 Government Center Drive
San Andreas, CA 95249

 

Contra Costa

Contra Costa Superior Court
725 Court Street
Martinez, CA 94553

Elissa Chambers

Del Norte Del Norte County Courthouse
450 H Street
Crescent City, CA 95531

Jack Breazeal

 

El Dorado

495 Main Street
Placerville, California 95667
Shana Sams
El Dorado

1354 Johnson Boulevard
South Lake Tahoe, California 96150

Yanira Gonzalez
Fresno

1100 Van Ness Avenue
Fresno, CA 93721

Vidal Fernandez

Kings

460 Kings County Drive, Suite 101
Hanford, California 93230

Stephanie Bealer

Lake

255 N. Forbes Street
Lakeport, CA 95453

Melissa Perry

Los Angeles

Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse
42011 4th Street West
Lancaster, California 93534

Jim Henderson

Los Angeles

Compton Courthouse, Dept. 5
200 W Compton Boulevard
Compton, CA 90220

Karen Ackerson Gauff

Los Angeles

Veteran Administration Regional Building, Room 116
James W. Wadsworth Building
11303 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90073

Serio Antoniuk

Los Angeles

Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, California 90012

 

Los Angeles

Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse
275 Magnolia, Dept. S12
Long Beach, CA 90802

 

Madera

   
Merced    

Monterey

240 Church Street
Salinas, California 93901

Nona Medina
Orange

909 N Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Kim Parsons
Placer

Santucci Justice Center Courthouse, Dept. 33
10820 Justice Center Drive
Roseville, California 95677

Dzenana Tiric
Riverside

4100 Main Street
Riverside, California 92501

Travis Trapp
Sacramento

Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse, Dept. 9
720 Ninth Street
Sacramento, California 95814

Yvette Woolfolk
San Bernardino

247 W 3rd Street
San Bernardino, California 92415

 
San Diego

New Central Courthouse, Dept. 34
1100 Union Street
San Diego, California 92101

Magdalena Daszczuk
San Francisco 575 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Allyson West
San Joaquin

222 E Weber Avenue
Stockton, California 95202

Virginia Wimmer

 

San Luis Obispo

1055 Monterey Street
San Luis Obispo, California 93401

Rosana Ortiz
San Mateo

Location 1:
Veterans Treatment Court
400 County Center
Redwood City, California 94063

Location 2:
Military Diversion Court
400 County Center
Redwood City, California 94063

Michael Scott Peyton
Santa Barbara

Location 1:
1100 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Location 2:
Building E
312 East Cook Street
Santa Maria, CA 93454

Location 3:
Military Diversion Court
115 Civic Center Plaza
Lompoc, CA 93436

Amy Lopez
Santa Clara

Family Justice Center
201 N 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113

Toni Bowels
Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Courthouse, Dept 7
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Katherine Mayeda
Solano

Solano County Hall of Justice
600 Union Avenue
Fairfield, CA 94533

Cynthia Garcia

 

Sonoma

   
Stanislaus

Main Courthouse
800 11th Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Yukari Williams
Tulare

221 South Mooney Boulevard, Room 206
Visalia, CA 93291

Curt Summers
Ventura

Ventura Superior Court, Dept 37
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009

Jill Barrios

 

 

Other Resources for Justice-Involved Veterans

Important: This section is intended to assist you in finding a County Veteran Service Office (CVSO) where a VTC does not exist.

If your county does not have a VTC, but you are a veteran, you may wish to talk to your CVSO to see whether you are eligible for other services. Veterans may be eligible for certain rights or protections even in a non-VTC court, ask your attorney what protections may apply to you, potentially including:

  1. Notification of Military Status Form: Form MIL-100. Lets the court know if you were in the armed services or reserves. You may have certain rights or protections.
  2. California Penal Code section 1170.9 details protections for veterans, including special considerations for veterans in court and Veterans Treatment Court eligibility requirements
  3. Petition for Dismissal (Military Personnel) (Form CR-183) can be used to ask the court to dismiss your case if you successfully complete your Veterans Treatment Court requirements.

The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) has information and resources for Incarcerated Veterans.
The organizations below have further resources dedicated to providing veterans with legal services:

General Resources for Veterans

The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) has information on veteran healthcare, housing, education, employment, and benefits.
The links below connect veterans with support, services, and further information: