Veterans Defense Project

VETERANS DEFENSE PROJECT (VDP) ADVOCATES POINT TO MINNESOTA LAW AS A PIONEERING MODEL FOR TREATMENT OVER PENALTIES. SINCE AUGUST 2021, WHEN GOV. TIM WALZ SIGNED THE VETERANS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ACT, OR VRJA, ALLOWING VETERANS TO AVOID JAIL TIME FOR CERTAIN CRIMES BY INSTEAD TAKING INTENSIVE STEPS TO TREAT THE UNDERLYING TRAUMA RELATED TO THEIR SERVICE.WE BECAME FRUSTRATED WITH THE WAY THE COURTS WERE DEALING OR FAILING TO DEAL WITH THEM, SAID BROCK HUNTER, A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN MINNEAPOLIS & CO-FOUNDER OF THE VETERANS DEFENSE PROJECT. HUNTER HAS WORKED ON CASES INVOLVING VETERANS FOR DECADES.ON VETERANS DAY 2022, THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS SCHOOL OF LAW HOSTED A LARGE EVENT TO DRAW NATIONAL ATTENTION TO HOW THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH IS WORKING IN MINNESOTA. SENIOR DISTINGUISHED FELLOW & LAW PROFESSOR HANK SHEA & RYAN ELSE, A ST. THOMAS SCHOOL OF LAW ALUM & CO-FOUNDER OF THE VDP, BOTH PLAYED PIVOTAL ROLES IN MAKING THIS LAW A REALITY ALONG WITH MANY OTHER VDP MEMBERS.ELSE MODERATED A PANEL DISCUSSION DURING THE EVENT, FEATURING VETERAN SUCCESS STORIES SUCH AS TONY MILLERS, HOPING TO INSPIRE OTHER STATES TO EXPLORE THIS NEW MODEL.NOW HUNTER & ELSE ARE SHARING THEIR MINNESOTA VRJA SUCCESS WITH OTHER STATES. HUNTER & ELSE SERVED AS ADVISORS ON THE VETERANS JUSTICE COMMISSION THROUGH THE COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE BEGINNING IN SEP. 2022. THROUGH THIS WORK, IN MID-2023, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED A MODEL POLICY FRAMEWORK BASED ON THE VRJA THAT WAS LATER ADOPTED BY THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COMMISSION TO PROMOTE BEST PRACTICES IN VETERANS CASES AROUND THE COUNTRY.