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  Daily Journal Staff Writer 

  Early Monday morning, five U.S. military veterans charged with felonies walked into
  criminal court, their heads held high. 

  "It's graduation day," said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael A. Tynan. 

  One by one the defendants approached a podium to explain to family, friends and the
  court's first-timers how the yearlong sobriety and mental health program changed their
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