Judge John R. Roach. Jr.
296th Judicial District Court
North Texas Regional Veterans Court
Join us this week as Judge Roach shares with us information on the Veteran's Court and the new VALOR program. You don't want to miss this. Invite your friends as we end the year on a great note.
Judge John Roach, Jr. has been the presiding judge of the 296th District Court in Collin County, TX since 2006. The 296th District Court hears felony criminal, civil, family law and Child Protective Service cases and is recorded as being the busiest court in Collin County for the last 10 years.
In addition to his constitutional duties, Judge Roach pioneered and continues to preside over the Nation's very first region-wide Veterans Court initiative – The North Texas Regional Veterans Court – which has become the model program for Regional Veterans’ Courts across the Nation.
A Marine Corps Veteran, Judge John Roach, Jr. served as a Crash, Fire and Rescue Specialist in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and was placed on active duty in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm before being Honorably Discharged in 1996.
After launching the Collin County Veterans Court in 2013, Judge Roach quickly recognized the need for an extended reach into smaller, more rural North Texas counties that could not support a Veterans Court on their own. His initiative and dedication to service is what has led to the partnership of five North Texas counties – Collin, Rockwall, Grayson, Kaufman, and Fannin – who now serve as One.
Judge Roach and his team travel throughout North Texas to reach Veterans who would not otherwise have access to the benefits of a Veterans’ Court. He is a frequent speaker around the country on Veteran issues. He works with courts across the country on establishing Veteran Courts - especially regional courts.
He has said that he does not want a single Veteran to go without the necessary treatment and resources simply due to an artificial line on a map. It was this initiative and dedication to service that has led to the creation of the VALOR – or Veterans Accessing Lifelong Opportunities for Rehabilitation – Work and Treatment Program.
With the "One Team, One Fight" mentality, Judge Roach, Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner, and the Collin County Community Supervisions and Corrections Department have made it their mission to break through county lines and extend the resources and irrefutable benefits of the VALOR Program to incarcerated Veterans across Texas.
