SBAND Seminar Materials 2013 Free Ethics: Echoes of War The Combat Veteran | Page 21

the
 tools
 to
 make
 an
 informed
 decision,
 recognizing
 that
 treatment
 and
 probation
 is
 often
  preferable
 to
 a
 single
 stint
 of
 incarceration
 in
 getting
 to
 the
 root
 of
 the
 problem
 and
  ensuring
 long
 term
 public
 safety.

 This
 is
 not
 a
 “get
 out
 of
 jail
 free
 card”
 for
 veterans.

  Completion
 of
 treatment
 is
 a
 condition
 of
 probation
 and
 failure
 to
 follow
 through
 can
 result
  in
 jail.
  Support
 for
 this
 Minnesota
 initiative
 was
 broad
 and
 bi-­?partisan.

 Backers
 included
  Republican
 Governor,
 Tim
 Pawlenty,
 state
 law
 makers
 from
 both
 sides
 of
 the
 political
 isle,
  the
 Minnesota
 Department
 of
 Veterans
 Affairs,
 the
 Minnesota
 County
 Attorneys
  Association,
 the
 Minnesota
 Association
 of
 Criminal
 Defense
 Lawyers,
 the
 Minnesota
 State
  Public
 Defenders,
 the
 Minnesota
 Chapter
 of
 the
 Veterans
 of
 Foreign
 Wars,
 and
 the
  Minnesota
 Chapter
 of
 the
 Order
 of
 the
 Purple
 Heart.

  The
 greatest
 challenge
 in
 passing
 the
 bill
 was
 fiscal.

 We
 introduced
 the
 bill
 the
 same
  week
 the
 Legislature
 learned
 it
 was
 facing
 an
 unprecedented
 $1
 billion
 dollar
 budget
  deficit.

 As
 we
 pushed
 the
 bill
 through
 committees,
 it
 became
 apparent
 that
 we
 would
 have
  to
 strip
 it
 of
 certain
 provisions
 that
 would
 trigger
 fiscal
 notes
 and
 prevent
 its
 passage.

 In
  the
 end,
 we
 reluctantly
 agreed
 to
 remove
 provisions
 that
 would
 have
 tracked
 the
 number
  of
 veterans
 coming
 through
 the
 criminal
 courts
 and
 that
 would
 have
 provided
 for
 a
  psychological
 evaluation
 of
 troubled
 veterans
 who
 had
 not
 yet
 been
 diagnosed
 with
 PTSD
  or
 related
 condition.
  The
 language
 of
 the
 new
 Minnesota
 law
 reads
 as
 follows:
  (a)
 When
 a
 defendant
 appears
 in
 court
 and
 is
 convicted
 of
 a
 crime,
 the
 court
  shall
 inquire
 whether
 the
 defendant
 is
 currently
 serving
 in
 or
 is
 a
 veteran
 of
  the
 armed
 forces
 of
 the
 United
 States.
  (b)
 If
 the
 defendant
 is
 currently
 serving
 in
 the
 military
 or
 is
 a
 veteran
 and
 has
  been
 diagnosed
 as
 having
 a
 mental
 illness
 by
 a
 qualified
 psychiatrist
 or
  clinical
 psychologist
 or
 physician,
 the
 court
 may:

 (1)
 order
 that
 the
 officer
 preparing
 the
 report
 under
 subdivision
 1
 consult
  with
 the
 United
 States
 Department
 of
 Veterans
 Affairs,
 Minnesota
  Department
 of
 Veterans
 Affairs,
 or
 another
 agency
 or
 person
 with
 suitable
  knowledge
 or
 experience,
 for
 the
 purpose
 of
 providing
 the
 court
 with
  information
 regarding
 treatment
 options
 available
 to
 the
 defendant,
  21