For her work in helping veterans access resources if they enter the court system, Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton received the *Veteran Advocate of the Year* award over the weekend.
The Vietnam Veterans of America, Buckeye State Council, presented the award Saturday night in Dublin at its State Convention.
In a letter congratulating her on her selection, Buckeye State Council President Thomas Burke thanked Justice Stratton for her support of Ohio veterans. “Your recent activities concerning ‘Veterans Courts’ is in our opinion long overdue in the State of Ohio,” he wrote. “The establishment of such courts will finally take into account the combat stress of returning Ohio veterans who may encounter the justice system.”
In April, Justice Stratton unveiled an initiative called the Veterans WrapAround Project, whose goal it is to network all the programming available to veterans so each court is aware of and can provide the most productive assistance. Justice Stratton announced the initiative during the second Veterans in the Courts Forum.
In October, Justice Stratton convened the first statewide meeting to explore collaboration between the Ohio court system and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In January, Justice Stratton participated in a training session at a national Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) conference on helping veterans who become involved in the criminal justice system.
Justice Stratton has been working with the VA for two years on this project. Earlier in 2009, the VA unveiled the VJO initiative, which assigns a designated representative at each veteran medical center to work with the court system to help veterans to access treatment services and other assistance. Five VJO specialists are assigned to Ohio.
In accepting the award, Justice Stratton said she was accepting it on behalf of all the veterans that need assistance. “While I’m grateful for the recognition, this effort is all about honoring those who have served our country so admirably,” Justice Stratton said. “Veterans need our help, and I’m committed to seeing that all the necessary resources are at their disposal.”
For a high-resolution, print-quality photo of Justice Stratton, visit: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/news/images/justices/stratton_highres.zip.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.