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40 verbatim requirements from Duval County Veterans Treatment Court Handbook (pdf).
Fourth Judicial Circuit (Duval, Clay, Nassau). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Verbatim from https://www.jud4.org/getContentAsset/958e8831-5b53-4eba-8b3a-9d0e33b57f0c/135b97c9-84fa-4e82-b956-0fbccec4aa1f/Duval-VTC-Handbook.pdf?language=en, harvested 2026-07-25; whitespace normalised only. • This will be your mission guide and you must adhere to it. -- 3 of 31 -- 3 an existing nexus between the offense or diagnoses and their military service. • That may seem like a lot, but your treatment plan will be tailored to your needs and may not include all of the above. • If you have entered the program with private counsel, court appointed counsel familiar with the program shall automatically represent you. • There are 5 phases in VTC, each with specific tasks that must be completed to move forward. • You will also acknowledge that admission, participation, graduation, and termination from VTC are entirely at the discretion of the VTC Judge and that you do not possess any right to participate in VTC. • You must obey all court orders and rules/regulations regarding weapons. • Complaints and grievances will be investigated by the PSC Director, and you will be notified of the outcome within 10 business days. -- 6 of 31 -- 6 • If your case is returned to the criminal division for prosecution, you may not be entitled to credit for any jail time served while in VTC. • You are required report to courtroom 212 by 9:15 a.m. and must sign-in on the sign-in sheet located in the PSC Lobby, next door to courtroom 212. o In VTC, we proudly display the American flag and flags for each branch of the military. • If you are a participant in phases 1-3 you are required to remain present for the entire court session each time you appear. • If at any time you need to be seen early or excused from court, you must let your CM know in advance and not on the day of court. o If you are required to attend 12-Step/sober support/Emotions Anonymous meetings, you are required to turn in meeting verification forms to your CM at each court appearance. • If you cannot appear in court as scheduled, you must notify your CM as soon as possible to explain why you cannot appear. • However, you must communicate with your CM (and PO if applicable) ahead of time so that you are not considered as a “no show” or an “absconder” from the VTC program. • Purple o You must contact the Drug Testing Color Line 7 days a week by calling (904) 255-1050. ▪ It is your responsibility to listen to each message in its entirety and report as directed. ▪ The Drug Testing Color Line is automatically updated each morning at 6:00 a.m. • You must call the color line no later than 8:00 a.m. to find out if your color was called. o WEEKDAY TESTING: • If reporting Monday-Friday, you must report to the Duval County • Courthouse, PSC Lobby, room 2321 (2nd floor) for testing when your color is called. ▪ You must report between the hours of 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise instructed. ▪ You must sign in, be seated, and be prepared to wait up to 30 minutes when reporting for testing. • You must pay attention to the recording on weekends/holidays to ensure that you report as required. ▪ Calling the Drug Testing Color Line after the reporting time has ended on weekend/holidays will not be accepted as a reason for a missed test. o MISSED TESTING: • In the event of a missed test during the week or on a weekend/holiday, you are required to report for testing by 9:00 a.m. the next business day at the Duval County Courthouse, room 2321 (2nd floor). ▪ Reporting as required when you miss a test will not excuse your missed test. • However, adhering to this policy will likely lessen the severity of the sanction. o You must provide a specimen within three (3) hours of arrival at the specimen collection facility. • Failure or refusal to abide by this policy will result in sanctions including possible removal from VTC. o Before providing a specimen, you must verify the information on the specimen collection container as your own and then initial the specimen collection container to acknowledge it is labeled properly. • If you leave the testing area without providing a specimen, your specimen collection container will be destroyed, and you will be provided with a new specimen collection container to verify upon your return. o When providing a urine specimen, you must provide a minimum amount of urine to be tested. • It is recommended that you do not consume more than one (1) cup of fluids in the hour leading up to providing a urine specimen. • Do not use or possess any unapproved drugs or alcohol. o Sobriety and mental health stability are the primary goals of this program. -- 9 of 31 -- 9 o You are responsible for what you put into your body whether it is legal or illegal drugs or alcohol, prescription or over the counter medications, food, and/or drinks. • See the Prohibited Substances List for more information. ▪ Contact your VTC CM for permission before you buy or fill anything. ▪ You must maintain compliance with all approved medications. ▪ Medication Assisted Treatment programs are permitted if deemed medically necessary and monitored pursuant to VTC policies. ▪ If you are receiving mental health treatment only (no history of substance use) you may be permitted to maintain certain mental health medications that would otherwise be prohibited. • This issue will be considered on a case-by-case basis only. • Approval must be received from the VTC judge prior to continuing any medications. • You must maintain compliance with all approved medications. o You are strictly prohibited from using or possessing all “synthetic” or “designer drugs/stimulants”, including supplements that can be purchased legally or illegally. • You should carefully read medication labels to look for potential intoxicating ingredients. ▪ If you must sign anything to get a product from the pharmacy, it is a prohibited substance. o Once you have determined an OTC drug that will work best for you, you will also need to get permission from VTC before purchasing or ingesting/using the medication. • Tell your doctors you are in treatment. o If you must seek medical attention, you are required to inform the physician that you are in a treatment program and cannot be prescribed narcotic, controlled substances, or habit-forming medications as take-home medications. o Medications provided by physicians in an inpatient/supervised setting (ER visit, hospital stay, office administered) are at the discretion of the physician. ▪ You must submit copies of all medical documentation to your • You must take medication as prescribed. o It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with the medication regimen that has been approved for you in VTC. • (Felony Offenders Only) Report to a PO as directed. o If you are a felony offender, you must report to a PO during the first week of each month. • You must be prepared to provide a urine sample at each visit. • If you have any problem making an appointment, you are to call your PO at 904-380-0348 or 904-563-5982. ▪ You must provide 24-hour notice of any cancelled probation appointment. ▪ You must leave a voicemail or send an email/text message if you cannot reach your PO. ▪ You must inform your PO of any change of address prior to changing locations. ▪ You must inform your PO when you gain and/or change employment. ▪ You must receive permission from a PO or your CM to leave Duval County. • Day trips with no overnight stays may be approved by a PO or your CM. • Overnight travel requires submission of a travel form and approval from the Judge. • Leaving the County/Travel Requests. o You are required to remain in the county in which you reside. • Otherwise, do not leave the county without approval. o If you endeavor to travel overnight to a location outside of your county of residence, you must submit a travel request form to VTC and receive written approval. ▪ The travel request form is included in your participant folder and is available at the PSC Main • This form is also available via email from your CM. ▪ The travel request form must be completed in its entirety and submitted via email or in person to your CM for processing. ▪ The travel request form must be submitted at least 5 business days prior to your requested travel timeframe. • The “friends” you used to spend time with may not be healthy for you and you may have to stay away from them. ▪ Medical/mental health appointments through the VA or other providers outside of your county of residence are permitted without a travel request. • Avoid inappropriate places including without limitation and by way of example only, bars or restaurants with a primary purpose of serving alcohol, adult entertainment venues, co-defendant’s homes or places of work, and other Problem-Solving Court participant’s homes or places or work. o You may not work or visit places where alcohol or illegal drugs is the primary item being dispensed, sold, or marketed. • Active users, known felons, and individuals on probation shall be discussed with your CM and PO, prior to associating with such individuals. • If you are on felony probation, this contact is prohibited whether you are in • Be on time. o If you are late for court sessions, 12-Step/sober-support meetings, medical or mental health appointments, educational sessions, and/or group/individual treatment sessions, you may not be allowed to attend and will be considered non-compliant. ▪ You must contact your CM if there is a possibility you will be late or have an emergency that will cause you to miss your court appearance. ▪ You must contact your Gateway counselor or, if you are receiving services from the Veterans • Administration, you must contact the VJO if there is a possibility you may be late or have an emergency that will cause you to miss your group/individual treatment session. ▪ You must leave a voicemail or send an email/text message in the event you cannot reach your -- 12 of 31 -- 12
This will be your mission guide and you must adhere to it. -- 3 of 31 -- 3 an existing nexus between the offense or diagnoses and their military service.
Reviewer note: Document sha256: 36701a0b7ac80a459bfb8d869183dd71d221570b308206d520f2cca4d44e337d. Extracted from the document's own text layer.
Judge Bell caps motions and responses at 5 pages for UMC hearings and 12 pages for special-set hearings.
Judge Alijewicz requires every motion for attorney's fees and/or costs to attach a document detailing time records — no records, no fee award.
Judge Corlew bars informal contact: every communication with the Court must be in writing, filed with the Clerk, with copies furnished to all parties — and no calls to the JA to schedule or cancel UMC.