Judge focuses on treating vets, not jailing them

By Kevin Grasha Lansing State Journal EAST LANSING (AP) -- Judge David Jordon still thinks about the veteran he couldn't help. In 2008, two years before Jordon would start Ingham County's veterans' court program, he handled the case of a man arrested during a riot outside the Cedar Village apartments. Police detonated several "flash-bang" devices that night. One of those caused the man -- whom Jordon recalled was in his mid-20s and had served in Iraq and lost an eye in an explosion -- to dive into the street and pretend to hold a rifle. The "flash-bang" had triggered a full post-traumatic stress disorder flashback, Jordon said. The man, who also was under the influence of alcohol, scuffled with police and ended up being charged with disorderly conduct, Jordon said. The case was resolved, and the man was told to continue PTSD treatment in his home state. If he did and had no more arrests, the charges would be dismissed. But Jordon regrets not being able to do more. "Here's a guy who (lost an eye) -- on our behalf," Jordon said. "His sacrifice for us merited us doing something for him. Not just cutting him a deal." But at the time, Jordon added: "I just didn't know what to do for him. I didn't have a plan, a system." That has changed. Jordon, a judge in East Lansing's 54B District Court, now heads one of the five court programs in the state that focus on treating veterans. Nationwide, there are about 80. The program, which began in March 2010, provides intensive treatment and works to address underlying problems such as PTSD, substance abuse and brain injury. If veteran participants complete the program, they avoid serving jail time. Jordon, 66, is not a veteran, but his father was a career Air Force officer who flew missions in three wars. One of Jordon's uncles served in World War II; another served during the Korean War. Jordon still remembers his father wore, along with his dog tags, a dosimeter that would show if he was being exposed to too much nuclear radiation from bombs. His father also wore a small canister that if cracked open would show a predetermined target in the former Soviet Union he would have to bomb. Even as a teenager, Jordon said, "I knew that those were very, very serious sacrifices that were being asked to be made." A self-described Air Force brat, Jordon lived in Ann Arbor; Okinawa, Japan; Kansas; and Nebraska. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he majored in psychology, He earned a law degree from the University of Southern California. Jordon has been on the 54B District Court since 1990. In explaining his motivation for starting the program, Jordon pointed to the comments of then-Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly, who said she hoped the court would serve veterans as well as they've served their country. "That's it. It's nothing complicated," Jordon said. "It's just a chance to do the right thing for people." Jordon has been willing to open the program to defendants from other counties. At least three of the approximately 85 participants are from outside Ingham County, officials said. George Thomas of Grand Rapids serves as a mentor to one of those defendants, a former U.S. Army Ranger, who served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thomas contacted the veterans' court on behalf of the former Army Ranger, who suffers from severe PTSD and faced charges in Kent County including stalking. Kent County does not have a veterans' court program. Thomas, a Vietnam veteran, said Jordon personally called him back. Jordon made arrangements with the prosecutor in Kent County to have the case transferred. "For this judge to go out of his way to do what he did," Thomas said, "he's a very good-hearted man." "He really cares about these young kids." Attorney Frank Reynolds praised Jordon for being "willing to work with some of the more difficult cases, where other people would shy away." Reynolds represents an Iraq War veteran, Brad Eifert, who was involved in a well-publicized 2010 standoff with police. Eifert -- who once faced a long prison sentence -- is now undergoing treatment for PTSD and has credited the veterans' court program with helping him start a new life. Jordon allowed Eifert into the program early this year even though, at the time, he was technically still an active duty soldier. "I like to try to find ways outside the box to get something done," Reynolds said. "Having a willing judge is a big part of the battle." When a participant enters what is known as the program's "graduation phase," Jordon gives each a commemorative coin. At the end of last month, 17 people were in the graduation phase. On one side of the coin is a Latin phrase that translates, "By striving we overcome." "That's pretty apropos for the veterans," Jordon said, "because they're changing the way they deal with the world." Published: Tue, Dec 27, 2011