Latest graduates honored as Johnson County’s Veterans Treatment Court begins its 10th year

Johnson County's Veterans Treatment Court, a treatment program for veterans in the criminal justice system, honored its latest graduates with a ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Four veterans were honored during the graduation, which took place at the Johnson County Courthouse:

• Douglas Henderson - Army
• Manny Peine - Army
• Todd Graham - Marine Corps
• Will Vonsteiger - Army

After Wednesday's ceremony, a total of 88 veterans have graduated from Veterans Treatment Court in Johnson County, and 13 are currently in the program.

District Court Judge Timothy P. McCarthy, who spearheaded the effort to bring Veterans Treatment Court to the county, presided over the graduation ceremony. Courthouse and county officials were in attendance. Sheriff Byron Roberson, who served eight years in the Marines, was the ceremony's guest speaker.

"Our four new graduates of Veterans Treatment Court should be very proud of their accomplishment. Through this program, they've put in the hard work and dedication to turn their lives around, and they will carry this experience with them as they move out of the criminal justice system," Judge McCarthy said.

In 2026, Veterans Treatment Court celebrates its 10th anniversary in Johnson County. Johnson County District Court founded the first treatment court for veterans in the state of Kansas in January 2016. A year later, the court recognized its first veteran to graduate from the program.

Veterans Treatment Court's mission is to identify veterans in the criminal justice system and to place eligible service people into treatment and court supervision as an alternative to incarceration. Nationally, Veterans Treatment Court has a 95% success rate - that is, 95% of graduates never return to the criminal justice system.

Graduates of the county's program have served in a variety of foreign conflicts, including the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. Many combat veterans return with post-traumatic stress disorder, and some have experienced traumatic brain injuries.

The program assigns each participant with a volunteer mentor, a military veteran who walks side by side with them throughout the entire program. Around 50 mentors have served in the program the past 10 years. Mike Ralls, a Vietnam veteran, is the current head of mentors.

Upon its launch, the county's program was the 287th Veterans Treatment Court in the United States. Today, there are six Veterans Treatment Courts in Kansas and 530 across the country.

"People are seeing that treatment courts work," Judge McCarthy said. "Sometimes supervising people through treatment with a team and frequent court appearances can get people out of the system. I appreciate our great team and everyone who has worked with us to get here."

A Behavioral Health Court and an Adult Treatment Court launched in 2023, joining the county's Veterans Treatment Court in serving individuals' mental health and substance use disorder needs.

A special celebration in honor of the county's 10th anniversary of Veterans Treatment Court will take place March 6 at 1 p.m. in the Courthouse's Jury Assembly Room.

Learn more about Veterans Treatment Court and court services available in Johnson County.