Veterans Amnesty Court Planned For Saturday

BRADENTON, FL — For more than 20 years, Turning Points has partnered with the Department of Veteran Affairs to host its annual Manatee County Stand Down, which provides various services to homeless veterans and those in need. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though, it will look much different this year, said Edwin Robinson, program manager of the Veterans Program.

This year, the organization is scaling things back and will host only its Veterans Amnesty Court on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the Manatee County Judicial Center, located at 1051 Manatee Ave West in Bradenton.

Turning Points’ partnership with the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court is designed to assist homeless veterans and those in financial need with court and traffic fees and fines.

“Generally, we work with the homeless population. Homeless veterans, they have what I like to call public nuisance crimes and with those come public nuisance fines,” Robinson said.

If those fines aren’t paid, clients aren’t able to obtain driver’s licenses or identification, or access or services, he added.

In some cases heard at the Veterans Amnesty Court, these fines are dismissed entirely; in others, they’re reduced. Some are put on a payment plan if they need time to pay them. Others still have their cases rescheduled for a deeper look by the court down the road, he said.

Last year, the Veterans Amnesty Court by the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court heard 42 cases, 11 evictions were set aside and $25,582.37 in fines and court fees for local veterans were dismissed.

“Without that fine paid, it’s a barrier,” Robinson said. “This is a weight lifted off their shoulders.”

He recalls asking one veteran waiting for the bus at last year’s event if the Veterans Amnesty Court had been helpful.

“He said, ‘You tell me. I just had $4,000 in fines removed and I don’t have that hanging over my head and that was a game changer for me,’” Robinson said. “It always feels good to see our homeless population move away from being a situation or a statistic toward a real solution that will let them have independence.”

Veterans from Sarasota and Manatee counties are welcome at the event, he said. There is no registration required. Veterans are asked to bring their VA card or DD-214 and a driver’s license.

Several veterans’ organizations will have information tables set up outside the event. Veterans will also have the opportunity to enroll in the Turning Points Yellow Ribbon Veterans Program.

Learn more about Saturday’s Veterans Amnesty Court online here.