experiences that you and your colleagues
have gone through,” Grant said.
One mentor is Clyde Willis of
Waterford, a Vietnam veteran who
was one of the treatment court’s first
graduates. According to Grant, Willis
is “the most awesome human being,”
continually helping others as a mentor
and through his involvement with other
veterans programs such as Operation
Care Package.
“I enjoyed the program,” said Willis,
who came into the treatment court after
being convicted of assault. “They asked
me to help and I was glad to do it. We
really try and help the guys out.”

SEEING A NEED
Grant initiated the veterans court pro-
gram in 2013, after then-probation
officer Marseille Allen told her a certain
group of probationers, mostly veterans,
were having trouble complying with
their probation requirements. After
some research, Grant learned many
of these veterans were struggling with
issues, such as finding housing, accessing
VA benefits or dealing with PTSD and
other mental health problems because of
their service.
Grant, a graduate of Wayne State
University Law School who is also the
chief judge of Oakland County Circuit
Court, began meeting informally with
veterans in her chambers to help them
navigate the system. Realizing that
an official structure was needed, the
Veterans Treatment Court was launched.
According to Grant, the Oakland
County program is one of two programs
in the country (the other is in California)
exclusively for veterans whose military
experience led directly to the felonies
they are facing. For many, this is their
first involvement with the criminal jus-
tice system.
So far, 11 men have participated.
Women are welcome, but none have yet
taken part.
Grant, who grew up in a Conservative
Jewish household and “married Reform,”
says her desire to help those in need was
inspired by her parents; her mother, Lisa,
whom she calls her “personal hero,” and
her father, retired Oakland County Judge
Barry Grant, whom she considers “the
best judge this county ever had.” As a
probate/juvenile judge, her father set an
example of advocating for those unable
to stand up for themselves.
“I learned from him about caring
for people,” Grant said. “The way I was
brought up, the definition of maturity
was giving back to others and the com-
munity.”
She manifested these beliefs as a prac-
ticing attorney in 1990, when she devel-
oped a series of free programs called
“Removing the Mysteries of the Probate
Court,” designed to help Oakland County

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Clyde Willis, veteran court graduate/
mentor, and Vietnam vet John Vallone

residents with estate planning and pro-
bate issues.
Earlier this fall, Grant was recognized
by the State Bar of Michigan, earning
the organization’s Champion of Justice
Award for her ongoing work with the
Veterans Treatment Court.
According to the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, approximately 11-20
percent of individuals who have served
in combat are affected by PTSD, with the
number of Vietnam veterans estimated
at 30 percent, compared to about 7-8
percent of people in the general popula-
tion. PTSD is often accompanied by
problems that include drug and alcohol
abuse, acute stress disorder, nightmares
and other sleep issues, and increased
anger as a response to stress or real or
perceived threats.
Vallone, who suffers from agoraphobia
(fear of leaving the house) in addition to
PTSD, told the court he did not under-
stand why he was arrested for taking out
his gun when he felt threatened by an
individual at a local gas station.
“I’m a little bewildered,” he told the
judge. “I’ve carried a weapon for 50 years
and I’ve never had to take it out. I never
felt I was in jeopardy [before]. I was told
[the gun] was to defend myself, so I don’t
understand.”
Grant assured Vallone she would look
into his case and get him some answers.
She also promised to find him an alter-
native to the medical marijuana he had
been using to treat his PTSD. Many
veterans, she explained, have previously
been given drugs that are not in the
treatment program or are not recom-
mended for PTSD.
“No Ambien with PTSD,” she said
emphatically, explaining that the pre-
scription sedative, commonly prescribed
for those with trauma-related sleep
issues, can intensify the combat-related
stress symptoms and can also lead to
addiction.
As each veteran takes his turn before
Grant, it is clear her role goes far beyond
administering a judicial program; she
is also a caring and nurturing advocate
who sees the veterans as individuals
rather than case numbers.
“They don’t get special privileges,”
Grant said, “but they do get special
attention.”

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January 5 • 2017

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