The Platte County Veterans Treatment Court was recently recognized for five (5) years of service to the citizens of Platte County at the Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals (MATCP) annual conference in Branson, Missouri.  

Sometimes substance use and mental health disorders lead veterans into the justice system.  When that happens, the proper response should be to determine whether justice would be best served by diverting them into a veteran’s treatment court where they can receive the appropriate treatment and supervision. The Platte County Veterans Treatment Court was established in 2019 in order to combine justice, treatment, accountability and structure in order to intervene and break the declining mental health, addiction and crime cycles that can affect veterans. Veterans that choose to enter the program go through intensive treatment, case management, and medical care through either the Department of Veterans Affairs or a private provider. Veteran participants regularly meet with probation officers and volunteer mentors and they attend court twice per month.   The veteran participants call in daily for drug testing, and have in home visits from Platte County Treatment Court Law Enforcement Officers.    

Quint Shafer, Platte County Associate Circuit Judge, was in charge of establishing the Platte County Veterans Court and currently presides over it.  There is also a multidisciplinary team that takes part in each court session and they work with the veteran participants on a regular basis.

The team members include: Lynnette Lockhart (Platte County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney), Cara Davis (Platte County Treatment Court Administrator), Carolyn Hatchel (Senior Program Specialist), Stacy Downey (Department of Veterans Affairs Outreach Officer), Charles McMullin (Missouri Probation and Parole), Samantha Stroud (Midwest ADP – Private Probation Officer), Deputy Mallory Eskridge and Deputy James Scott (Platte County Sheriff’s Department - Treatment Court Trackers), Shane Bartee (Defense Attorney), Bryant King (Mentor Coordinator), and Professor Greg Plumb (Court Evaluator).

As stated by Judge Shafer: “This court was created to increase community safety, reduce correctional costs, make more effective use of limited criminal justice and mental health resources, and improve public welfare by addressing the unique needs of those who have defended our country by identifying, developing, and implementing alternatives to incarceration for eligible veteran defendants.  We have assembled a great team and a great program to meet that goal.  Our community and our veterans deserve that.”

For additional information, please contact: 

Cara Davis

Treatment Court Administrator

(816) 827-4009 

[email protected]