FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2021

Government Relations and Public Affairs 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, Maryland 21401 410-260-1488

Media Advisory: Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court celebrates graduation with keynote speaker Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle Alejandro Villanueva

Four veterans will be recognized by the District Court in Baltimore City for their successful completion of the Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) program on Tuesday, November 16, at a ceremony presided over by District Court Administrative Judge Halee F. Weinstein. Veterans Day was November 11 and an official court holiday when courts in Maryland are closed.   Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a U.S. Army Ranger and veteran, will serve as the keynote speaker and will be joined by a limited number of judges, court staff, family, friends, prosecutors, and community partners to congratulate the graduates on their achievements.

Judge Weinstein, a U.S. Army veteran, founded VTC in 2015 as a comprehensive, court-supervised, and voluntary treatment-based program for veterans charged with misdemeanor and concurrent jurisdiction felonies in the District Court. Approximately 97 veterans have completed the VTC program to date, which has as its mission serving the community and increasing public safety by integrating a coordinated treatment response for veterans with substance use disorders and/or mental health issues.

WHAT:           Baltimore City VTC graduation ceremony

WHEN:           Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at 1:30 p.m.                        Media photo availability 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE:        Baltimore City District Court                       Eastside District Courthouse, Courtroom 7                       1400 E. North Avenue                       Baltimore, Md. 21213                       Due to COVID-19 protocols, masks must be worn and social distancing is required.

WHO:            Chief Judge Joseph M. Getty, Court of Appeals of Maryland                       Chief Judge John P. Morrissey, District Court of Maryland                       Baltimore City District Court Administrative Judge Halee F. Weinstein, presiding                       Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle Alejandro Villanueva                       United Way of Central Maryland                       Warrior Canine Connection                       Baltimore City VTC graduates

NOTE: Please contact the Maryland Judiciary, Government Relations and Public Affairs, by email at communications@mdcourts.gov or 410-260-1488, if you plan to attend or have questions. The use of cameras inside the courtroom will be limited. Photographers will be allowed to take pictures of the graduates with Judge Weinstein in front of the military flags as well as the service dog therapy program, but pictures are not permitted while the judge presiding the docket on the bench. Photographers also will be allowed to take still photography and/or video outside of the courtroom, but those requests must be approved in advance. Photographers must ask participants for their consent prior to taking pictures and/or video.

WATCH THE JUDICIARY VIDEOS: To learn more about VTC and its mission, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibUut-MA_jY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN2cHF_GbnU&t=2s.

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