S.F. No. 14 Summary

• Applies to military veterans charged with Severity Level 7, D7, or lower offenses (including misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors) where the crime stems from service-related sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, substance abuse, or mental health conditions.

• Courts must determine whether defendants meet eligibility requirements and may require defendants to release military service records for in-camera review; court makes findings by clear and convincing evidence before deferring proceedings.

• Eligible defendants who enter guilty pleas can receive probation without judgment of guilt for up to the maximum sentence period, with court-ordered treatment in programs serving veterans, preferably through VA or Department of Defense programs.

• Defendants can be supervised through optional veterans treatment court programs utilizing county veterans service officers and VA specialists, with ability to transfer supervision between jurisdictions.

• Upon successful probation completion, courts may dismiss charges and discharge defendants, with records maintained as non-public by Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; dismissal does not count as conviction and does not apply to sex offender registration offenses.

• Counties and cities may establish pretrial diversion programs allowing prosecutors to dismiss charges after successful completion of veteran-specific treatment programs.

• Effective date: April 1, 2021.