BlivisitstHeveteranstreatmentcourt bar leadership Institute Chairs : AlexaCline — StateAttorney ’ sOffice , 13thJudicialCircuit , JasonImler — ImlerLaw & DanielaMendez — TampaGeneralHospital
itisboththewide-reachinginfluenceofJudge scionti , aswellasthecourt ’ sprioritization oftreatingveteransbyfocusingontheir mental , physical , andemotionalneeds , that hasenabledthisprogramtobecomethe nationalmodelforrehabilitativecourts .
On december 9 , 2022 , the Bar Leadership Institute ( BLI ) had the pleasure of touring the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit ’ s Veterans Treatment Court ( VTC ). This is no ordinary courtroom . Established in October 2013 , VTC was the first of its kind in Hillsborough County . As this year ’ s BLI class learned , the VTC ’ s goals are to aid veterans in getting the help they need and to exit the criminal justice system with the tools and skills to ensure they do not return . The individuals who appear in this court are former service members who have found themselves in the criminal justice system .
The Honorable Michael J . Scionti presides over VTC . Judge Scionti is a current Judge Advocate General ( JAG ) in the U . S . Army Reserve , and holds the rank of Colonel , bringing a unique perspective that is informed by his years of military service . These experiences allow Judge Scionti to recognize and address challenges facing veterans ,
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