A promise made, a promise kept. For ten (10) years, Vet to Vet Tennessee (VTVT), Don Smith, Rhea County Veterans Service Officer and former Assistant Commissioner of the Tennessee Veterans Affairs, and Monroe County Veterans Court Judge Dwaine B. Thomas has been trying to help Rhea County create and establish a Veterans Court track without any success.
Until September 2022, when the newly elected Rhea County General Sessions Judge Jace Cochran took office. Immediately after taking office, he created a Veterans Court track in Rhea County with the support of the newly elected Rhea County DA. In November 2022, the first justice-involved veteran was admitted into the new Veterans Court track.
March 2022, Veteran/Attorney Mark Shane Partain had a USMC justice-involved veteran who was arrested in Rhea County for a DUI; his first arrest. The JIV took responsibility for his mistake. The JIV entered Judge Thomas’s Monroe County Veterans Court program and received treatment and support from the McNabb Military Service Center and VTVT. The JIV completed a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program and graduated from Judge Thomas’ program. Judge Thomas, Attorney Partain, and VTVT appealed to the Rhea County General Sessions Judge and DA to consider the progress the JIV made in the Veterans Court Program. Neither accepted the recommendation. The JIV was incarcerated, fined, and lost his license for a year. Crime & Punishment.
However, in 2022 the Rhea County General Sessions and District Attorney positions were up for re-election. A son of a Veteran and Attorney Jace Cochran who had been working with Judge Thomas for eight years knew the benefits of a non-adversarial Veterans Court program and decided to run for office.
We are grateful and proud to announce that Jace Cochran won the election and immediately fulfilled one of his campaign promises; he started a Veterans Court track and transferred his first JIV to the Monroe County Veterans Court in November 2022. Not only did he issue the temporary court order, but he also went to jail to personally meet the 100% service-connected disabled JIV.
On November 28, 2022, Judge Jace Cochran met with the VTVT Mentor Corps and the Rhea County Veteran Service Officers: Don Smith, Tia Marshall, and Don’s relief, Tommy Harveston. A true blessing. Don Smith retires in early 2023. Thank you, Judge Cochran, you made Don’s mission come true right before he retires. God bless all of you.
Photo from right to left.
Ed Junod, Beverly Finch, Darlene Sistrunk, Don Smith, Tia Marshall, Tommy Haverston.
