10/11 News recently quoted Berry Law attorney Justin Kalemkiarian in their article about a bill in the Nebraska Legislature aiming to fund mental health courts in Nebraska.
According to the article, thousands of Nebraskans suffer from a serious mental health issue. New legislation proposes adding mental health courts to Nebraska to better suit the needs of those individuals.
There are already about 250 mental health courts across the country, Nebraska has zero. Mental health courts cater to the different needs of those who need it. The current court system cannot adequately conduct fair trials for people suffering from mental health and these people, unfortunately, may be punished and not receive the treatment they truly need.
Public defenders, paid defense attorneys, and even prosecutors agree that the current system is not right. Justin Kalemkiarian said in the article, “I think judges and prosecutors and defense attorneys, they see a wrap sheet and these charges just down the line, but that’s not who the person is.”
If the bill is passed, approximately $1.4 million would be allocated to start mental health courts in Lancaster, Douglas, and Sarpy Counties.
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To learn more about attorney Justin Kalemkiarian, click here.