NEWS

Buncombe veterans offered amnesty

Leah Buletti
lbuletti@citizen-times.com

ASHEVILLE — Nearly 50 Buncombe veterans took advantage of the opportunity for a fresh start Friday at the county's first ever Veterans Amnesty Day.

Current and former members of the military were able to reset court dates, remit old fines and resolve minor offenses like traffic citations or non-violent misdemeanors.

District Attorney Todd Williams spearheaded the event at the Buncombe County Courthouse with the assistance of Clerk of Court Steve Cogburn and staff, Chief District Court Judge Calvin Hill, Superior Court Judge Marvin Pope, and Buncombe Veterans Treatment Court coordinator Eric Howard.

Social workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs were also on hand to offer information about health care services and VA benefits.

Williams said he was pleased with the turnout, and hopes to hold a similar event on Memorial Day.

"If the need looks like we should do it more frequently than that, we'll do it more," Williams said.

Most veterans who attended the event had traffic offenses and similar minor citations, he said.

"A lot of folks did leave with dismissals today," he said.

With more than 20,000 veterans in Buncombe County, many returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe PTSD or brain injuries, helping with minor offenses is key, Pope said.

"Some veterans will have difficulty getting jobs even if they have a misdemeanor on their record," the judge said.

Buncombe County's Veterans Treatment Court, which started in June and is one of only three in North Carolina, targets more serious offenses through longer term rehabilitation and mentoring.

The court seeks to treat rather than imprison, and mentors veterans for 18 months, helping them pursue employment or education. The court has four clients and will expand to seven by next month. It could serve up to 30 veterans, and expand to other mountain counties.

Earlier this month, county commissioners unanimously approved a request for $10,000, which will go to drug screening kits, transitional housing and other needs to help treat the court's clients.

Williams said there is a synergy between that program's goals and those of Veterans Amnesty Day.

The ability to address misdemeanors can make a huge deal of difference for veterans, said Howard. Even small charges can compound difficulties in getting jobs or housing, he said.

"Today was huge," Howard said. "A guy comes up and says, 'thank you so much for doing this, I got all my charges dismissed and I can get a job.'"

"This is what folks want," he said.

One veteran with several misdemeanor marijuana charges who received help Friday said the event was "a tremendous help."

"With a clean record, you’re more likely to be employed," said Bruce Abshire, 60, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1980-86 and said he is now unemployed and homeless but has been seeking work.

He struggles with depression and anxiety, and has also struggled with medication.

"I'm no angel, I'll admit that," he said.

"It will be very beneficial," he said when he learned that court officials could help him with some of his charges.