BOSTON, Oct. 30, 2015—A Suffolk County prosecutor who also serves in the Army National Guard was promoted to the rank of major today during a ceremony at the Boston Veterans Treatment Court, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Assistant District Attorney Brett D. Walker, a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and veteran of active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, was formally elevated from his prior rank of captain this morning alongside defendants currently obtaining treatment and services through the Veterans Court. A Suffolk prosecutor since 2013, Walker is one of two combat veterans assigned to the program, which provides supervision to veterans who are charged with low-level criminal offenses in the City of Boston.

Assistant District Attorney Brett Walker is a US Army veteran and Suffolk county prosecutor assigned to the Boston Veterans Treatment Court.

“Veterans are at greater risk of suicide, unemployment, substance abuse, and untreated mental health issues,” said Conley, who attended the ceremony. “Brett is a key partner in balancing accountability with treatment to bring these men and women back to stable, productive lives, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

The ceremony was held following the weekly Veterans Court session at the Edward Brooke Courthouse in downtown Boston. During the course of that session, the presiding judge inquired of each defendant as to how they were progressing along their treatment plan. One by one, they informed her of their progress, then turned to shake Walker’s hand and congratulate him.

The Veterans Court “has definitely helped me turn around about 180 degrees,” one man said. “And I wanted to congratulate Mr. Walker. He’s a good guy, a solid guy, a stand-up guy.”

Colonel James Vallee of the Massachusetts National Guard promoted Walker. Walker’s wife and children presented him with a pair of shoulder boards embroidered with oak leaves signifying his new field grade rank.

Unlike most court sessions, in which defendants leave after their cases are called, Veterans Court participants remain in the session together – a requirement meant to recall the camaraderie and team-based support of military service. The session ends with the recitation of the Boston Veterans Treatment Court Creed, which Walker created. It begins, “Vigilantly I commit to improving myself and my community.”

Veterans Court opened about a year and a half ago. Like the Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Homeless Court to which Conley has assigned Suffolk prosecutors, it is a problem-solving specialty court open to qualifying defendants – in this case, those whose offenses stem from a service-related substance abuse or mental health issue.  It is strictly voluntary and entails a screening process that rules out sex offenders and violent career criminals. Those who take part can generally have their cases resolved without incarceration if they remain out of trouble and comply with the court’s orders during a 12- to 24-month period of sobriety, treatment, and supervision.

Veterans Court began about a year and a half ago and is overseen by Boston Municipal Court Judge Eleanor C. Sinnott, herself a US Navy veteran. About 20 former service members are currently enrolled in the session.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.