Judge Milich says goodbye to veterans court in Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN — In the military, when you graduate from basic training, you move on to a career in the military.

When you graduate from the Youngstown Veterans Treatment Court, you move on to a new life.

Today, four men successfully completed the program as they also paid tribute to the man who started it – Judge Robert Milich of Youngstown Municipal Court, who has to retire Dec. 31 because of age requirements.

Judge Milich, who started on the municipal court in 1999 and is an Air Force veteran, presided over one final court in city council chambers, where he also received commendations from Mayor John A. McNally, city council, the office of U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission.

Judge Milich started the veterans court in 2010.

Participating veterans plead guilty to the charges they face. Those charges can be dismissed if they complete monitored, court-ordered mental-health or drug-treatment programs.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com