MANSFIELD — Dwayne Sudberry’s journey in Veterans Court sparked change in his life.
An Air Force veteran, Sudberry said his involvement in a domestic dispute led to his participation in the program.
While he wishes he could change the past, Sudberry explained that Veterans Court helped him deal with everything he’s experienced.
“I actually take what happened to me as a blessing in disguise,” he said. “Because (without it) I wouldn’t have met the amazing people that I have.”
Sudberry, along with five other participants, were honored during a Mansfield Municipal Veterans Court graduation ceremony Wednesday at the Mansfield FOP Lodge 32, 315 Concord Ave.
The Air Force veteran said he entered Veterans Court with preconceived ideas of the program — but was proven wrong by graduation day.
“I came in with a stigma of what I thought it would be,” Sudberry said. “It (Veterans Court) absolutely changed my views on everything.
“Mr. Scott Aldridge (Veterans Court probation officer) is the nicest, most genuine person I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve never met a group of people that wanted you to achieve anything like that since the military.”
Sudberry currently works as a corrections officer at the Marion Correctional Institution.
Team effort
Several dignitaries and elected officials attended the Wednesday afternoon ceremony to congratulate the six graduates.
Mansfield Municipal Court Magistrate John McCollister said Veterans Court participants are often at low points in their lives when they begin the program.
“The purpose of the program is to give them the guidance, direction and resources to help them get their lives back on track,” he said.
McCollister commended the efforts and strides made by those graduating Wednesday.
“I know at times, it’s been extremely difficult,” he told the graduates. “But you all have persevered and it’s a testament to the character that is within you.”
Mansfield Municipal Court Judge Michael Kemerer said veterans are owed “every opportunity to get back up when they slip and fall.
“You got knocked down. You’ve gotten back up,” Kemerer said to the graduates. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done to get there.”
‘Never ring that bell’
Guest Speaker James Nicholson, retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. and current Richland County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, delivered a message of strength and perseverance.
His message centered around ways to utilize the values instilled in veterans to help them navigate through their lives after serving.
Nicholson referenced “elite forces” such as the Navy Seals, Army Rangers, Delta Force and U.S. Army Special Forces.
“Each of these branches has a program you must go through before you can complete this task and become one of these designees,” he said.
By simply ringing a bell, Nicholson said those trying to become a member can simply quit.
“There’s so much mind, body and thought put into it, that on any given day, you can stop the pain — immediately,” he said.
The connection behind this portion of his message was to motivate graduates to keep going and never give up.
“All I ask is never quit,” Nicholson told the group of six. “Remember who you are, what you’ve been through and never, never ring that bell.”
Veterans Court was ‘first of its kind’ in Ohio
The Veterans Court was formed by the late Judge Jerry Ault and began operating in September 2009.
It was the first of its kind in the state of Ohio and third among the United States, according to a Mansfield Municipal Court press release.
Kemerer said without the efforts of Ault, the Veterans Court likely wouldn’t exist today.
“I learned a lot from Judge Jerry Ault. I learned about the law and I learned about compassion,” Kemerer said.
Ault, who served 24 years as a Mansfield Municipal Court judge, developed the court to help reduce crime, incarceration and recidivism by “linking veterans with veteran-specific services.”
Furthermore, veterans are linked with veteran service representatives and peer mentors who will “educate and assist them in obtaining benefits and support services available only to veterans.”
The voluntary specialty court docket program provides “intense supervision” of offenders.
It involves regularly scheduled review hearings with the judge, home visits and curfew checks.
Drug and alcohol testing, as well as increased communication with treatment providers is also included.
The program requires “at least one year of supervision and treatment, which is organized into four phases, corresponding to individual development.”
Since 2009, Veterans Court has served over 252 participants and had 169 successfully complete the program, the Municipal Court release states.
