ARIZONA NEWS

Peoria joins Glendale-based West Valley Regional Veterans Court system

Jan 14, 2025, 4:30 AM

PHOENIX — The city of Peoria is taking new steps to help veterans dealing with the criminal justice system.

To do this, city leaders voted to join the West Valley Regional Veterans’ Court (WVRVC) in December 2024.

The WVRVC, which operates out of the Glendale City Court, is an intra-city partnership that connects veterans with resources, such as VA benefits, supportive housing, employment and counseling, to reduce their recidivism rates.

How Arizona veterans will benefit from new court partnership

Joining the partnership will enable the Peoria Municipal Court to refer cases to the WVRVC. This voluntary therapeutic treatment court represents a cooperative effort involving judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys. and members of various organizations, such as:

  • Veterans Health Administration.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs Justice Outreach program.
  • Human service agencies.
  • Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care.

Veterans with a history of military service who have been charged with a misdemeanor violation filed with in one of the municipalities participating in the WVRVC are eligible to participate.

Some of the treatment they can get through WVRVC includes weekly counseling, mental health treatment, medical treatment and regular recovery support and self-help meetings.

When will court partnership start to help veterans in Peoria?

Currently, participating municipalities are the city courts of El Mirage, Goodyear and Tolleson, as well as the Litchfield Park Magistrate Court and the Wickenburg Municipal Court.

In order to help veterans within Peoria’s borders, city leaders signed an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Glendale on Dec. 17 to join the intra-city partnership.

However, it will take a while for the Peoria court system to fully join the partnership, according to Peoria Municipal Court Presiding Judge John Tatz.

“We are working on establishing the process of referring cases over there right now and anticipate moving forward in the next 1-2 months,” Tatz told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday.

He said he advised the Peoria City Council he’d be looking into helping the city’s court system join the WVRVS back in April 2024.

“I strongly believe in treatment courts and particularly Veterans Courts,” Tatz said. “I appreciate the support of the Council and city management in making it happen.”

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Peoria joins Glendale-based West Valley Regional Veterans Court system