2025-09-25T11:46:55-07:00 2024-12-31 273968596 Petersen Professionals PC 4915 West 35th St Suite 201 St Louis Park MN 55416 990EZ 2024-01-01 463292694 VETERANS DEFENSE PROJECT VETE 6128741625 3201 HENNEPIN AVE S MINNEAPOLIS MN 55408 HANK SHEA Chairman 2025-09-25 true true STACEY R PETERSEN CPA P00270858 9527673212 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X WWW.VETERANSDEFENSEPROJECT.ORG X X 195551 X 190917 4269 365 0 0 0 0 195551 17159 169127 3044 1219 24309 214858 -19307 230068 210761 X 240177 210761 240177 210761 10109 230068 210761 The purpose of the Veterans Defense Project is to conduct & support educational training, research & informational activities to educate criminal justice stakeholders as well as raise public awareness of issues affecting veterans involved with the criminal justice system & to expand Veterans Treatment Courts (VTSs) & veterans sentencing statutes throughout the United States, working towards a model that will make VTCs more consistent across jurisdictions. Veterans Defense Project (VDP) advocates point to Minnesota law as a pioneering model for treatment over penalties. Since August 2021, when Gov. Tim Walz signed the Veterans Restorative Justice Act, or VRJA, allowing veterans to avoid jail time for certain crimes by instead taking intensive steps to treat the underlying trauma related to their service.We became frustrated with the way the courts were dealing or failing to deal with them, said Brock Hunter, a criminal defense attorney in Minneapolis & co-founder of the Veterans Defense Project. Hunter has worked on cases involving veterans for decades.In 2023, VDP co-founders Brock Hunter & Ryan Else worked with the Veterans Justice Commission, a national project chaired by former U.S. Defense Secretary & U.S. Senator Charles Hagel & includes former Defense Secretary & White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to assess & make recommendations around policies that can improve outcomes for justice-involved veterans & their communities. That work led to the adoption of the Veterans Justice Act by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in August 2023. Nebraska became the first state to pass the Veterans Justice Act in early 2024.On November 11, 2024, the VDP held its third annual event honoring veterans in need of restorative justice, located at the University of St Thomas School of Law & live-streamed around the country. It featured remarks by retired General Joseph Votel & Major General Johanna Clyborne. The VDP remains quite active in many states, such as Pennsylvania & Ohio, educating & advising about the need for & benefits of enacting the Veterans Justice Act (VJA). The VJA has been endorsed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), AllRise, formerly the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, & the many other organizations & individuals. 162685 162685 HANK SHEA Chairman 2.00 0 DAVID HOLEWINSKI Chairman 2.00 0 W ANDERS FOLK Treasurer 2.00 0 BERLYNN FLEURY Secretary 2.00 0 TRAVIS KOWITZ PAST CHAIR 1.00 0 BRETT KELLEY Director 1.00 0 JONATHAN CALHOUN Director 1.00 0 MICHAEL HURLEY Director 1.00 0 JOHN CHOI Director 1.00 0 BRYAN CUNNINGHAM Director 1.00 0 CARIE LEMACK Director 1.00 0 WILLIAM TENNEY Director 1.00 0 NONI KARKOSKA Director 1.00 0 JEANNE BISHOP Director 1.00 0 JOSEPH VOTEL Director 1.00 0 KEITH LEBLANC Director 1.00 0 false false false false false false false 0 0 0 false 0 0 false MN HANK SHEA 3201 HENNEPIN AVE S MINNEAPOLIS MN 55408 6128741625 false false false false false false false false false false false NONE NONE true X 4688 95162 136876 73875 190927 501528 0 0 4688 95162 136876 73875 190927 501528 218950 282578 24 85 506 365 980 0 0 502508 5169 0.56230 0.70120 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED Other Expenses.1002 Office Expenses $920 Other Expenses.1003 Information Technology $2685 Other Expenses.1005 Travel $2334 Other Expenses.1012 Insurance $987 Other Expenses.1 PROGRAM EXPENSES $17383 Total Liabilities.1006 Payable to Officers, Directors, Etc. - Beginning $10109 Payable to Officers, Directors, Etc. - Ending $0