Second Circuit Veterans Court to Hold Graduation Ceremony

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Dec. 11, 2024
Contact:Alisa Bousa, Public Information Officer, [email protected]or 605.773.2031

Second Circuit Veterans Court to Hold Graduation Ceremony

PIERRE, S.D.-Second Circuit Veterans Court will hold a graduation ceremony to honor participants' achievements on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at 9 a.m. CST.

American Legion Post 15 Honor Guard will begin the ceremony, which will be led by veteran law enforcement. Volunteer mentors will present the Veterans Court participants with their challenge coins, and Circuit Court Judge Eric C. Johnson will present them with their certificates. The event will take place in Courtroom 3B at the Minnehaha County Courthouse, 425 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls.

The keynote speaker will be Cody Henrichs, executive director of the Minnesota West Community and Technical College Foundation, professor of sculpture and art history at the University of South Dakota, and co-founder and co-director of Norse Art Space in Sioux Falls. Henrichs, who lives in Luverne, Minn., struggled with drug and alcohol addiction in his early years but has remained sober for the last 21 years. Early into his recovery, he enlisted in the United States Army.

Veterans Court graduation is an important part in a participant's journey to building a life of responsibility and accountability. The ceremony is open to the public, as well as family and friends of the participants who are graduating. Those attending are asked to enter the courthouse through the front entry, where they will have to go through security screening. Attendees will then take the elevators, located to the right of the security area, to the third floor.

Second Circuit Veterans Court provides an innovative approach to rehabilitation. Instead of prison time, Veterans Court guarantees supervision and allows offenders access to counseling, treatment and support to help them overcome addiction. The program provides support, accountability and a sense of community to veterans in need. The treatment court model requires regular court appearances, as well as mandatory attendance at treatment sessions, and frequent and random testing for drug and alcohol use. The program utilizes volunteer veteran mentors to assist those in the program forward in this process and to foster connection to the community.

For more information, contact Second Circuit Veterans Court Coordinator Desiree Kincaid at 605-215-2648 or [email protected].

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About South Dakota Courts:The Unified Judicial System (UJS) consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and State Court Administrator's Office. The Supreme Court is the state's highest court and final decision maker on South Dakota law. The Circuit Courts are the state's trial courts where criminal proceedings and civil litigation are handled. The State Court Administrator's Office provides centralized administrative assistance and support services for the South Dakota judiciary. Learn more at https://ujs.sd.gov.

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