photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Colin Jay Fowler

A 40-year-old man who was welcomed into Douglas County’s new Veterans Treatment Court less than two weeks ago was charged on Monday with three new offenses.

Colin Jay Fowler was convicted on Feb. 11 of residential burglary and felony theft, but his sentence was held in abeyance pursuant to his participation in Veterans Treatment Court — a specialty court that offers second chances to veterans in the criminal justice system. Fowler, who served in the Army Reserves, was given a place to stay and a support network known as the Veterans Court Team to help him navigate substance-abuse and other issues in order to eventually clear his record.

On Monday, though, he was charged with burglarizing and stealing from the Vanderbilt’s store on East 23rd Street and with possession of methamphetamine.

At the Feb. 11 hearing, he pleaded guilty to the two felonies committed on Dec. 21, 2025 — entering a home and stealing a car — and saw three other charges dropped, including aggravated residential burglary, felony theft and criminal use of a financial card. The plea deal also dismissed two counts of felony theft from a separate Nov. 16, 2025, incident.

Moments after his convictions, he was admitted to Veterans Treatment Court with some fanfare and what Judge Amy Hanley described as a “shift in temperature,” indicating a less adversarial and more supportive approach, though one that would still involve “hard work,” she cautioned. A team of professionals including a lawyer, a treatment provider, a law enforcement official, a veteran mentor and other community partners clapped for Fowler and offered encouragement and support.

“Our entire goal is your success,” Hanley told him, noting that successful completion of the program meant that his guilty pleas could be withdrawn and his convictions dropped.

According to the contract he signed with the Veterans Treatment Court, Fowler agreed to be drug and alcohol free and to be law-abiding, among many other agreements.

His status with the VTC program was not clear on Monday. He was the second person to be admitted to the specialty court, which began late last year with the motto “Leave no veteran behind.” The first person admitted to the court did not have success with the program. Now in its fourth month of operating, the court anticipates slow but steady growth as more applications come in.

The Douglas County District Court in 2024 received a $1 million federal grant for the VTC, which will fund the program for four years.

As the Journal-World reported, the Douglas County VTC is the sixth in Kansas. It is open to veterans who suffer from substance abuse, mental health issues or both related to their military service. The program, which operates in five phases, includes 15 to 18 months of intensive court supervision using evidence-based practices that seek to stabilize the needs of veterans that contribute to criminal behaviors. That includes support to achieve and maintain sobriety, develop new skills to cope with life stressors, and support with employment, school and volunteer work, according to an overview of the program.