Some military veterans have collided with the criminal justice system. There are now more than 90 courts across the U.S. tailored to veterans who are willing to work to get back on track.Shaughn Whittington, 27, works on a vehicle during his auto mechanics class at Golden West College in Huntington Beach. He is a participant in Orange County's Combat Veterans Court program. (Francine Orr, Los Angeles Times / February 9, 2012)
March 26, 2012 - It took three arrests and the threat of prison to get Shaughn Whittington to Orange County's Combat Veterans Court.
He slumped in a black suit, blue shirt and black tie, bracing for a claustrophobic courtroom, a stern judge.
No need. Here, defendants are called participants. People applaud. Judge Wendy Lindley hands out gift cards.
"It looks more like a support group instead of a courtroom," said Whittington, 27, who was arrested twice on drug charges and once on suspicion of assault. "It's that Marine Corps mentality. You look at it like it's a joke."
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