Veterans Defense Project
Promoting the effective and vigorous defense of Military Veterans in criminal court.
Veterans Defense Project
What we do and why
The echoes of war reverberate through society
We literally wrote the book on defending veterans
Education for prosecution and defense attorneys
For as long as warriors have returned from battle, some have brought their war home with them, bearing invisible wounds that haunt in the present. These echoes of war—manifested in self-destructive, reckless, and violent behavior—reverberate through society, destroying not only the lives of these heroes, but their families and communities. The mission of the VDP is to restore veterans involved in the criminal justice system to the communities they served.
Education for prosecution and defense attorneys
We literally wrote the book on defending veterans
Education for prosecution and defense attorneys
The Veterans Restorative Justice Act was only recently passed into law by the Minnesota state legislature in 2021. We must educate those legal professionals prosecuting and defending veterans, in order to best serve the veterans we hope to restore now that they are no longer serving in our military. We believe that this law in Minnesota is only the start and that similar laws should be passed nationwide.
We literally wrote the book on defending veterans
We literally wrote the book on defending veterans
We literally wrote the book on defending veterans
As criminal defense lawyers and military veterans, Ryan Else and Brock Hunter set out to create a text that would empower our legal colleagues to passionately and skillfully defend our fellow veterans in criminal court. With proper preparation and execution, defending veterans can be among the most rewarding experiences a defense attorney can have.
Latest Updates about the VDP and the VRJA
Honor veterans with restorative justice
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
Many veterans need healing from their service-related traumas. We must support them.
Veterans Day will be celebrated throughout the country on Nov. 11. For some, it will just be another day at the end of the workweek. For others, it will be a paid holiday. But we hope for many that it will provide an opportunity to, in some way, honor all
Many veterans need healing from their service-related traumas. We must support them.
Veterans Day will be celebrated throughout the country on Nov. 11. For some, it will just be another day at the end of the workweek. For others, it will be a paid holiday. But we hope for many that it will provide an opportunity to, in some way, honor all American veterans, living or dead, in gratitude for their service and sacrifice on behalf of all of us.
There is one group of veterans particularly deserving of our collective attention and action. For as long as veterans have returned from war, some have brought war home with them, bearing invisible wounds in the form of post-traumatic stress and other traumas. Untreated, these scars of war — manifesting in substance and alcohol abuse and addiction, often leading to harmful and self-destructive behavior — inflict pain throughout society, destroying not only the lives of these heroes, but victimizing their families and the communities they fought to protect.
Large numbers of veterans in past generations have fallen into and been left behind in the criminal justice system upon their return home.
Did you know that roughly one-third of U.S. military veterans report that they have been arrested and jailed at least once in their lives?
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
It is a critical time to turn the tide for millions of post-9/11 veterans, advocates say, as many struggle to put the Iraq and Afghanistan wars behind them.
Tony Miller killed countless enemy forces while deployed in Iraq, where his Army unit captured so many high-value targets that they received a valor award.
“Violence was good,” said Mi
It is a critical time to turn the tide for millions of post-9/11 veterans, advocates say, as many struggle to put the Iraq and Afghanistan wars behind them.
Tony Miller killed countless enemy forces while deployed in Iraq, where his Army unit captured so many high-value targets that they received a valor award.
“Violence was good,” said Miller, a paratrooper, who was sent back to Iraq just 17 days after returning home from his first deployment. “Violence was rewarded.”
But once he left the military in 2008, Miller's aggression was no longer an asset, and he was consumed by anger, exacerbated by untreated post-traumatic stress disorder. He was charged with second-degree assault with a firearm in 2014 and convicted soon after of felony drug possession — the consequences of which threatened to permanently derail any chance he had of resuming a productive life as a civilian.
Understanding the Veterans Restorative Justice Act
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
In Memoriam: The VDP Mourns the Passing of Peter Orput
Protecting our communities by serving our veterans: Roger Brodin is a Vietnam-era Marine Corps veteran and the sculptor responsible for “A Monument to the Living.” The statue—a green man wearing a utility uniform, boots, combat gear, and a bandolier of ammunition—stands with shoulders shrugged and palms open with splayed fingers. The pla
Protecting our communities by serving our veterans: Roger Brodin is a Vietnam-era Marine Corps veteran and the sculptor responsible for “A Monument to the Living.” The statue—a green man wearing a utility uniform, boots, combat gear, and a bandolier of ammunition—stands with shoulders shrugged and palms open with splayed fingers. The plaque at the base of the statute reads, “Why do you forget us?” The statue is a constant reminder to the politicians at the Minnesota State Capitol that they have a responsibility toward military members, especially those who fight in America’s military campaigns.
With that promise in mind, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) on June 30, 2021. Gov. Tim Walz later signed the VRJA into law, effective August 1, 2021. Its enactment followed years of effort from the Veterans Defense Project and other organizations lobbying at the State Capitol. The VRJA’s passage shows that our state can protect Minnesota communities when a particularly vulnerable population is provided with resources to address homelessness, suicide, mental health, and chemical dependency needs.
In Memoriam: The VDP Mourns the Passing of Peter Orput
Many U.S. veterans land behind bars. A unique new law may change that.
In Memoriam: The VDP Mourns the Passing of Peter Orput
The Veterans Defense Project mourns the passing of Washington County Attorney, Peter Orput. Mr. Orput was an invaluable member of the Project’s Board of Directors. Mr. Orput was also instrumental in guiding and passing the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. He spent hours both testifying at the legislature and building consensus with the M
The Veterans Defense Project mourns the passing of Washington County Attorney, Peter Orput. Mr. Orput was an invaluable member of the Project’s Board of Directors. Mr. Orput was also instrumental in guiding and passing the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. He spent hours both testifying at the legislature and building consensus with the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association and other criminal justice stakeholders to see the Veterans Restorative Justice Act become law. Thanks in part to Mr. Orput’s efforts, the VRJA became law in August of 2021.
Mr. Orput’s work with the VDP did not end with the passage of the VRJA. He continued his work by training the state’s prosecutors on the logic and the mechanics of the VRJA. He was an active and vocal member of our board until his passing. And his tireless efforts occurred both while he managed a county attorney’s office and dealt with his health issues.
Please join us as we mourn the passing of our beloved colleague, friend, United States Marine and advocate. Semper Fidelis.