Judicial leaders push for more veterans treatment courts across Kansas
Instead, he now owns his own business and has turned his life around.
"It saved my life. I'm not exaggerating when I say that. It saved my relationship with my kids, with my family," said Carter. "It saved me, it really did."
Carter was one of the first graduates of Johnson County's veterans treatment court, specialty courts designated to rehabilitate and treat veteran criminals dealing with mental or behavioral issues. The premise is instead of placing them in incarceration, treating those issues – and perhaps later expunging convictions or dismissing those charges – would be a more productive path.