Robert T. Russell, Jr. is a City Court Judge in Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. He is credited with creating the first

Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court

The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court is a judicial "veterans' court" which was first established in 2008 in Buffalo, New York, USA, as part of the Erie County court system...

 "veterans' court

Veterans' court

A veterans' court is a "special court" which is charged with trying cases of minor offenses which involve veterans of militaries such as the United States Armed Forces, particularly those diagnosed with service-related illnesses...

" in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. A veterans' court is a type of "special court

Special Court

A Special Court is a court in the United States that deals with a particular field of law rather than a particular territorial jurisdiction. Special courts can handle both civil and criminal disputes. Common forms of special courts include "Drug Courts," "Family Courts," and "Traffic Courts". In...

" that is designed to accommodate issues that are unique to veterans, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by combat experience.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/us/16soldiers.html Since his creation of the first veterans' court in 2008, several other similar courts have been created throughout the United States. In April, 2010 Russell won accolades from United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters...

, Eric Shinseki

Eric Shinseki

Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army four-star general who is currently serving as the 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army...

. http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/07/1011244/from-top-level-praise-for-veterans.html