Media Advisory:
Baltimore City District Court Veterans Treatment Court celebrates its eighth anniversary

The District Court in Baltimore City will celebrate Veterans Day and the eighth anniversary of its Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) with a luncheon for veterans and a program featuring keynote speaker Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Woods. Secretary Woods attended West Point and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served two tours of duty in Iraq and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service. He currently serves as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve and an intelligence analyst assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

Local veterans will be recognized by the District Court in Baltimore City for their military service and for their participation in the VTC program on Tuesday, November 14, at a celebration presided over by Baltimore City District Court Senior Judge Halee F. Weinstein. Veterans will be joined by judges, court staff, family, friends, prosecutors, and community partners. Veterans Day is November 11 and an official court holiday when courts in Maryland are closed.

Judge Weinstein, a U.S. Army veteran, founded VTC in October of 2015 as a comprehensive, court-supervised, and voluntary treatment-based program for veterans charged with misdemeanor and concurrent jurisdiction felonies in the District Court. Approximately 113 veterans have completed the VTC program to date. The VTC program’s mission is to serve the community and increase public safety by integrating a coordinated treatment response for veterans with substance use disorders and/or mental health issues.

NOTE: Please contact the Maryland Judiciary, Government Relations and Public Affairs, by email at [email protected] or 410-260-1488, if you plan to attend or have questions. The use of cameras inside the courtroom will be limited. Photographers will be allowed to take pictures of the veterans with Judge Weinstein in front of the military flags inside the courtroom as well as photograph the service dog training program. However, pictures are not permitted while the judge is presiding over the VTC docket on the bench. Photographers also will be allowed to take still photography and/or video outside of the courtroom, but those requests must be approved in advance. Photographers must ask participants for their consent prior to taking pictures and/or video.

WATCH THE JUDICIARY VIDEOS: To learn more about VTC and its mission, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibUut-MA_jY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN2cHF_GbnU&t=2s