Judge spends night in cell with war veteran he sentenced to jail

Fighting in a war can have debilitating and enduring consequences for soldiers, and a North Carolina judge took that into account when he recently sentenced a veteran.

Though Judge Lou Olivera sent former Green Beret Joe Serna to jail for a night, he spent the time with him, reportsWRAL.

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Serna, as a result of his 20-or-so years of service, is now afflicted with PTSD, and to cope has often turned to alcohol, reports the Washington Post.

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On April 12, Serna admitted he'd lied about the results of a recent urine test performed to confirm he is abiding by a sobriety program.

Judge Olivera who is a veteran himself, says he joined Serna in the cell on April 13 out of concern, and the two talked about the experience of serving in the military.

Serna told WRAL, "It was more of a father-son conversation as opposed to a judge talking to someone and sentencing them. It was personal..."

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