Military Law
May 5, 2026
Military diversion and Veterans Treatment Courts: A policy framework for accountability and public safety
California's military diversion and Veterans Treatment Court framework squarely addresses prosecutors' dilemma: protecting public safety when criminal conduct reflects service-related trauma through statute, case law and evidence--not habit or sentiment.
Paul C. LeBlanc
Dr. Paul C. LeBlanc, LP.D., is a deputy city attorney in the City of San Diego's Criminal Division, where he prosecutes in both Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion. He previously served as a uniformed Navy Judge Advocate and as an assistant united states attorney in the National Security Division of the Central District of California. He holds a doctor of law and policy from Northeastern University and is a combat veteran.
Every prosecutor eventually confronts a structural tension embedded in the charging decision: what response most effectively protects public safety when criminal conduct stems not from predation but from the neurological and psychological residue of military service? California's military diversion and Veterans Treatment Court framework offers a deliberate answer to that question--one grounded in statutory design, judicial interpretation and a growing empirical record, rather...
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