Retired Youngstown Judge being inducted into Veteran Hall of Fame

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Editor's Note: Anchor Derek Steyer will have an in-depth look at Judge Milich Sunday on 21 News 6 PM.

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services will induct retired Youngstown Municipal Judge Robert Milich and 19 others into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

The 2018 Class Induction Ceremony takes place Thursday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. at the Radiant Life Church in Dublin, Ohio.

The 20-person class will be honored with medals by Veterans Services Director Chip Tansill and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.

Judge Milich, 76, of Mahoning County, served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. Robert graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1978 from the University of Akron.

In 1980, he began his career in the law department of the City of Youngstown and succeeded to Director of Law in 1994.

In 1998, he was appointed to Municipal Court by Gov. George Voinovich. He continued in this role until his retirement in 2017.

He served as presiding judge of the Youngstown Municipal Veterans Treatment Court from its inception in 2011 to his retirement from the bench in December 2017.

Judge Milich helped developed the court using counselors, mentors, and community social workers to assist veterans in meaningful rehabilitation.

It was the second such court in the state of Ohio and one of 50 in the nation with a primary mission of treatment and rehabilitation of non-violent misdemeanor offenders.

The program has become a model within Ohio for treating and rehabilitating veterans.

Since its inception six years ago, 63 veterans have participated in the courts’ treatment program and 48 veterans have graduated from the program.

The court's success helped garner him an appointment to the Ohio Attorney General Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness for Veterans Courts and Military Affairs Subcommittee.

Milich is also a member of the cabinet to establish the Youngstown State University Veterans Resource Center which is the only of its kind in Ohio, serving veteran students with counseling, a computer lab, job placement, and recreation.

The complete list of 2018 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Inductees follows:

*Awarded posthumously