A Historic "Third Way" for Justice-Involved Veterans
Covington, Tennessee
April 1, 2026
Today, in the General Sessions courtroom of the Central Justice Center, Judge M. O. Eckel, III administered the Oath of Office to the three founding members of the Tipton County Veterans Court Board, a first-of-its-kind advisory body dedicated to serving the unique needs of justice-involved veterans in the community.
The inaugural Veterans Court Board swearing-in ceremony at the Central Justice Center, Covington, Tennessee.
Tipton County is home to more than 6,000 veterans, men and women who answered our nation's call and returned carrying burdens that few civilians will ever fully understand. Fortunately, the number of veterans who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system remains small. But small numbers do not diminish the magnitude of individual lives. For those veterans, the challenges of PTSD, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder, and the broader weight of military service demand a response that is thoughtful, informed, and worthy of their sacrifice.
Rather than establishing a resource-intensive formal Veterans Treatment Court, Judge Eckel designed a leaner, more agile solution: an independent advisory board modeled after the time-tested CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) framework. The Veterans Court Board will review cases involving veteran defendants, identified in the Clerk's office by a “VETERAN” stamp on their General Sessions warrant, and provide fact-based advisory reports to the Court, the District Attorney, and Defense Counsel simultaneously, ensuring full transparency and due process at every step.
We may not see a large number of veterans before this Court, and for that we are grateful. But that small number does not lessen the significance of each individual life. Every veteran who stands before us deserves more than a one-size-fits-all approach to justice. This Board ensures that we will always have the expert, veteran-centered insight needed to reach the most informed decision possible for each of them.
Judge M. O. Eckel, III · Tipton County General Sessions Court
The VCB's advisory reports will draw on each board member's deep expertise to assess a veteran's military service history, discharge status, and any service-connected factors, including PTSD, TBI, homelessness, and substance use disorders, and recommend pathways to resolution, including potential diversion to Tipton County's Recovery Court or mental health referral. Final judicial authority remains, as always, with the Court.
⚖ The Oath of Office
“I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee. I further swear that I will perform with fidelity the duties of the office of Member of the Tipton County Veterans Court Board, to which I have been appointed and which I am about to assume. I will execute these duties without prejudice, partiality, or favor, and will faithfully and impartially discharge all responsibilities incumbent upon me to the best of my skill and ability.”
Those words, sworn before Judge Eckel this morning, reflect not merely a legal obligation, but a personal commitment by three extraordinary individuals who have devoted their lives to service in uniform, in law, and in their community.
Founding Board Members
Judge M. O. Eckel, III with the three founding members of the Tipton County Veterans Court Board.
David Bitzer
U.S. Navy · Aviation Senior Chief · 24 Years · Retired
David Bitzer served 24 years in the United States Navy as an Aviation Support Equipment Master Training Specialist and Aviation Warfare Qualified Senior Chief, retiring from Staff Duty at BUPERS (Bureau of Naval Personnel) in Millington in 2005. Following his naval career, he served four years as a Tipton County Sheriff's Office Reserve Deputy and was later elected to serve eight years as a Tennessee State Constable. His wife, Diane, is a 20-year Navy Veteran with a specialty in drug and alcohol counseling, and their son Branson currently serves as a Navy Lieutenant training future Surface Warfare Officers. David brings to the Board a rare combination of military discipline, law enforcement experience, and intimate personal knowledge of what it means and what it costs to serve.
Dondi O. Albritton
U.S. Army Reserve · Major · Combat Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom · ATF Retired
Dondi Albritton brings 29 years of distinguished federal law enforcement service with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he served as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in the Louisville and Charlotte Field Divisions and as Chief of the Explosives Technology Branch at ATF Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Prior to his ATF career, he served with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and began his public safety career as a police officer at the University of Tennessee. A retired Major in the U.S. Army Reserve and combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he has contributed to major investigations including the September 11 attacks, the Oklahoma City bombing, and a munitions facility explosion in Tirana, Albania. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Tennessee at Martin and leads Albritton Consulting, LLC. Few individuals in this region command his breadth of military, investigative, and executive leadership experience.
J. Houston Gordon
U.S. Army · Captain · Judge Advocate General's Corps · Trial Lawyer · 53 Years
Houston Gordon's record of service to soldiers, veterans, and the law is without parallel in Tennessee history. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant out of UT Martin, he earned his Captain's bars in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps in 1970 and spent four years defending soldiers before the Army Court of Military Review and the Court of Military Appeals, including serving as lead appellate counsel for Lieutenant William Calley following the My Lai incident, a representation praised by opposing judges as “brilliantly argued.” He earned his LL.M. in taxation from George Washington University National Law Center while on active duty. After returning to Tennessee, Gordon practiced as a trial lawyer for more than 53 years, recognized annually as one of the Best Lawyers in America beginning in 1984, named among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America, elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers, and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association. He served as Assistant District Attorney for the Twenty Fifth Judicial District (1976–1977) and as the County Attorney for Tipton County (1981–1984). He retired from practice in 2024. The J. Houston Gordon Museum at UT Martin's Paul Meek Library stands as a testament to a life of extraordinary contribution.
Judge Eckel presents certificates of appointment to the founding members of the Veterans Court Board.
Together, these three board members represent military service across the Army and Navy, decorated federal and local law enforcement, five decades of courtroom advocacy, and a combined lifetime of fighting for those who could not always fight for themselves. Tipton County is fortunate beyond measure to have them volunteer their time and expertise in service of our veterans.
The Veterans Court Board represents the best of what local government can be: innovative, compassionate, efficient, and deeply rooted in the community it serves. Judge Eckel extends his profound gratitude to the inaugural board members, to District Attorney Mark Davidson, Public Defender Bo Burk, and the members of the Tipton County Bar who have made this program possible.
More than 30 people attended the inaugural swearing-in ceremony at the Central Justice Center.
The Tipton County Veterans Court Board begins active operations immediately.
