Section 730 ILCS 167/20 - EligibilityVeterans and servicemembers are eligible for veterans and servicemembers courts, provided the following:
(a) A defendant may be admitted into a veterans and servicemembers court program only upon the consent of the defendant and with the approval of the court. A defendant agrees to be admitted when a written consent to participate is provided to the court in open court and the defendant acknowledges understanding of its contents.(a-5) Each veterans and servicemembers court shall have a target population defined in its written policies and procedures. The policies and procedures shall define that court's eligibility and exclusionary criteria.(b) A defendant shall be excluded from a veterans and servicemembers court program if any of one of the following applies:(1) The crime is a crime of violence as set forth in paragraph (3) of this subsection (b).(2) The defendant does not demonstrate a willingness to participate in a treatment program.(3) The defendant has been convicted of a crime of violence within the past 5 years excluding incarceration time, parole, and periods of mandatory supervised release. As used in this paragraph, "crime of violence" means: first degree murder, second degree murder, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, armed robbery, aggravated arson, arson, aggravated kidnapping and kidnapping, aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm or permanent disability, aggravated domestic battery resulting in great bodily harm or permanent disability, aggravated criminal sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust or authority over a child, stalking, aggravated stalking, home invasion, aggravated vehicular hijacking, or any offense involving the discharge of a firearm.(4) The defendant is charged with a violation of subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code in which an individual is charged with aggravated driving under the influence that resulted in the death of another person or when the violation was a proximate cause of the death, unless, pursuant to subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, the court determines that extraordinary circumstances exist and require probation.(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the defendant may be admitted into a veterans and servicemembers court program only upon the agreement of the prosecutor if the defendant is charged with a Class 2 or greater felony violation of: (1) Section 401, 401.1, 405, or 405.2 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act;(2) Section 5, 5.1, or 5.2 of the Cannabis Control Act; or(3) Section 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 56, or 65 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act.Amended by P.A. 103-0154,§ 705, eff. 6/30/2023.Amended by P.A. 102-1041,§ 10, eff. 6/2/2022.Amended by P.A. 101-0652,§ 10-296, eff. 7/1/2021.Amended by P.A. 100-0426,§ 5, eff. 1/1/2018.Amended by P.A. 099-0480,§ 5-120, eff. 9/9/2015.Amended by P.A. 098-0152,§ 5, eff. 1/1/2014.Amended by P.A. 097-0946,§ 10, eff. 8/13/2012.Added by P.A. 096-0924,§ 20, eff. 6/14/2010.