Veterans Court in session in Westmoreland for first time

Nearly five years after Andrew Brewer was knocked unconscious on two occasions during a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan, he said he's dealing with complications from his injuries.

It was those injuries and his inability to deal with them that Brewer, 35, of Donora believes led him to a Westmoreland County courtroom Monday as the first participant in the county's fledgling Veterans Court program.

The program was established by court officials two years ago for veterans charged with misdemeanor or summary offenses, but until Monday, no one had gone through it.

“I'm just tickled to death the program is finally starting to move,” Judge David Regoli said of the program that requires participants to receive counseling, social services and meet other conditions set by the judge.

In the summer, Brewer was charged with theft for returning a microwave oven that had been reported stolen to the Rostraver Wal-Mart in an attempt to get a cash refund.

Since then, his case has been monitored by Regoli while he undergoes counseling through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Once you get into a hole, it's hard to get out of it. A regular probation officer might not understand what I am going through,” Brewer said after his court appearance.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury from an exploding land mine and was injured again several months later when his Marine caravan was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He served tours of duty in Iraq in 2007 and 2008.

The program requires Brewer, who is unable to work because of his injuries, to complete his counseling and pay $162 in restitution. His Veterans Affairs social worker, Keather Likins, told the judge Monday that Brewer was on track to complete his court-ordered counseling.

Regoli will meet with Brewer again in April, and if the restitution is paid and other conditions of his probation are completed, he will dismiss the criminal case. Brewer will be able to apply to have his criminal record expunged at a later date.

He is represented by attorney Daniel W. Kunz, who oversees a veterans law clinic at Duquesne University School of Law.

Kunz said the veterans court is a perfect fit for Brewer.

“It's giving him an opportunity and motivated him to participate in services which leads to healing and to reintegrating back into his community,” Kunz said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.