On February 4, 2015, during the annual State of the Judiciary address to the Georgia State Legislature, the Honorable Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson recognized the Cobb Veterans Treatment Court. In attendance was Judge Ruben Green, Cobb Veterans Court Staff and Mentors.
These are the comments from Chief Justice Thompson:
“…. Last month, I had the honor of attending Veterans Court in Cobb County, at the invitation of Superior Court Judge Reuben Green. Cobb County has more veterans than any other county in our state. Every Friday, Judge Green, who served as a United States Marine, presides over the court. Let me tell you what I saw: I saw a team of professionals who met with Judge Green for an hour before court to discuss each veteran who would appear before the judge that morning.
I saw those professionals’ dedication to keeping these veterans out of jail, by helping them get the treatment they need, and by helping them find jobs and housing. I then moved into Judge Green’s courtroom where I saw him use the knowledge he had of each participant to praise them, to encourage them, or to sanction them if needed. One of the beauties of Veterans Courts is that all the participants receive veterans’ benefits, which means that much of their treatment is funded by federal tax dollars, instead of state or county funds. Also unique is something else I saw first-hand. As each veteran approached the bench in Judge Green’s courtroom, he or she was accompanied by a “mentor” – one of 25 veterans who have volunteered to be paired with a court participant and stand behind and alongside these men and women to give them every chance to succeed. Judge Green calls these mentors the real heroes, and he is always looking for more volunteers. As Judge Green said, we owe these young men and women whom we sent off to war a second chance and the treatment they need for the issues caused by their service to our country. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to introduce to you Judge Reuben Green. I am also proud to introduce to you some of the United States veterans – the heroes – who volunteer in Judge Green’s Veterans Court.”