Specialty Veterans’ Treatment at Local Courts

Cooperative efforts between the VA and several local state courts have allowed for the implementation of a specialty court. These specialty courts around the state of Michigan (with many others in different states as well) give service members from World War II up through the recent Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts rehabilitation from drug addition, alcohol abuse, theft, vagrancy, and other nonviolent crimes that stem from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or other war-related symptoms.

It is up to the local court, through its judges, staff, and probation department, to adjust their dockets to allow for the program. However, the treatment itself is paid for entirely by the VA. It is a unique way of handling non-violent crimes instead of the usual jail-time or probation. It allows the veteran to be treated for the underlying conditions leading to the commission of these crimes in the first instance.

VA Allows Use of Marijuana

VA has issued a department directive allowing veterans to use marijuana in those states that have legalized the drug for medicinal purposes. The policy will not permit VA doctors to prescribe marijuana, but it will address the concern of many patients who use the drug that they could lose access to their prescription pain medication if caught in a drug screen. Under department rules, veterans can be denied pain medications if they are found to be using illegal drugs. We have watched the legalization of marijuana process in Michigan and can tell you that many unforeseen circumstances will arise with the VA's new rule. You can expect problems between different VA medical centers and VAROs. To read more about the new policy, click here.

Delayed Seizures From Head Injury

A recent study found that Vietnam vets with penetrating head injuries could first exhibit seizures decades after the injury. The Journal Neurology published a report that found that among a group of 199 Vietnam veterans, about 13% developed post-traumatic epilepsy more than 14 years after they had suffered a penetrating head wound, such as a gunshot injury or shrapnel that entered brain tissue. In at least one instance the onset was 35 years later. The LA Times wrote about this study "It is unclear how the study relates to combatants returning from Iraq and Afghanistan today, the authors said. The Vietnam veterans in the study suffered from penetrating brain injuries, which are rarer in soldiers fighting in the current conflicts because helmets have improved. Today, closed-head injuries (where the brain is not penetrated) are more common, in part because of the helmet improvements and partly because of a change in the weaponry used in modern warfare." The VA would be well advised to take these results into account. This once again proves that VA, veterans and their advocates should not simply dismiss a medical nexus because of the passage of time.


Veterans can have seizures decades after a head injury, study finds

Divorce Could Dissolve the Dodgers

Even the Dodgers aren’t safe from Divorce.

The divorce of Frank & Jamie McCourt has become even more heated as the couple has mutually asserted that each of them doesn’t have enough money, and bills are piling up sky high. The Judge handling their divorce has indicated that if they continue to bicker about money, he may order that the asset they are arguing about, the Dodgers, will be sold.

Can the Judge actually do that? Can the Judge order that the Dodgers be sold to the highest bidder? Absolutely!

With the downward trend of the economy, more and more couples are fighting about debt rather than assets, and most property or assets are under water and have negative equity. Sometimes even when there is property with positive equity, the debts are so overwhelming that the property has to be sold to pay off the debt.
Family Courts and Judges have the power to order what is fair and equitable, and can make decisions on how property is to be valued, divided and distributed. They can make these decisions even to the lament of Dodgers fans.

It is unlikely that the Dodgers will actually be sold because of the divorce—but not because the Court or the Judge lacks the power to order it. It was likely a serious warning from the Judge to the McCourts to stop their bickering and focus on what is truly important so that the issues can be resolved.

You can read the LA Times article here: Judge in McCourts’ divorce case talks of Dodgers Sale

If you are interested in learning more about divorce or family law, please call Wendy Alton at 248-380-9976 or email her at walton@fb-firm.com.

Veteran Job Website

We just learned of a new site that may be of interest. The federal government has opened a new website concerning the employment of veterans with the Departments and agencies of the US government.

The direct link is: Link

Good Luck!

Veteran Care Givers

Congress has now passed legislation for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans that would establish an unprecedented permanent program to support the caregivers of wounded warriors, improve health care for veterans in rural areas, help VA adapt to the needs of women veterans, and expand supportive services for homeless veterans. The President must sign the legislation. It is a step in the right direction.

Watchdog

Toxic Water at Camp Lejeune

We have dozens of Marine veterans ask each year about their exposure to toxic drinking water at Camp Lejeune. While the existence of the contaminated water is now well documented, the medical nexus to specific disabilities has not been accepted. Recently, VA recognized that ingestion of contaminated water could cause ratable disabilities. There are 2,044 pending legal claims by people who lived and worked at the Marine base from 1957 – 1987. The Corps is having people potentially exposed register in a database. To date, 160,000 have registered. This proves once again that you should never give up on your claim because sometimes the VA is really slow to get it right.

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