2016 Trial Court Leadership Conference Agenda - National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

First Annual Trial Court Leadership Academy and Conference, September 25-28, 2016, in Cleveland

A collaborative partnership between NAPCO and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has developed an inaugural conference of presiding judges and court executives from across the country to discuss challenges faced by state and local trial court leaders, to propose solutions, to hear about best practices, and to enhance collaboration among trial court leaders. The academy and conference are open to the top leader-judges and court executives in any state or local trial court regardless of size or jurisdiction. It is a 3-day event beginning on Sunday evening, September 25 and concluding Wednesday at noon, September 28. It will take place at the Marriott Downtown Cleveland Hotel at Key Center, near our host court, Ohio’s Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County.

Details regarding academy and conference educational programming are currently underway and will be completed in the next few months. Forty to fifty presiding judge / court executive teams can be accommodated. Registration and lodging expenses have purposefully been kept low and can be facilitated through state Supreme Court administrative office budgets, individual trial court funding, and scholarships as appropriate. Registration is now officially open via this NAPCO website. The details and conference schedule are below.

Sunday, September 25: Welcome | Opening Session

12:00 to 6:00pm Registration and Conference Information (North Foyer)
The Conference hotel, the Marriott at Key Center, is a premier 25-story story property overlooking Lake Erie and Cleveland’s skyline in the heart of the downtown Cleveland government and business center. It is within walking distance of many upscale restaurants, a new Science Center, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Historic Cuyahoga County Courthouse, and the Cleveland Brown’s stadium. All educational activities will be held at the hotel.
5:30 to 7:00pm Hosted Reception (heavy hors’doeuvres; no-host bar) (East Foyer)
Attire is business casual at all educational and social events. Cleveland weather in late September is generally in the low-70’s during the day and mid-50’s at night. A light jacket or sweater would be advisable in the evenings.
6:00 to 6:30pmWelcome and Opening Remarks (East Foyer)
- Hon. Maureen O’Connor, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Ohio
- Hon. Frederick P. Horn, NAPCO Chair, Board of Directors
- Mary McQueen, NCSC President
- Hon. John J. Russo, NAPCO President, 2015-16
7:30pm Dinner on Your Own
Suggestions and directions to numerous restaurants within walking distance of the hotel will be provided by our host court, the Court of Common Pleas for Cuyahoga County, during the registration process.
9:00 to 11:00pm Networking Suite (Erie/Superior)
A special gathering place for a late night glass of complementary wine or beer has been arranged at the hotel for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings. The suite is intended to be an informal setting where conferees and their guests can get together and discuss court-related issues, talk about the day’s events, or just meet new friends.

Monday, September 26: National Center for State Courts’ Trial Court Leadership Academy

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has contracted with the Center for Applied Research (CFAR), a Boston/Philadelphia leadership consultancy affiliated with the Wharton School of Management at the University of Pennsylvania, to facilitate Monday’s Leadership Academy. NCSC and CFAR have worked together over the past few years on leadership issues in Indiana courts to address new ways to overcome the “silo affect” in loosely coupled trial courts, and in Massachusetts’ courts to improve productive interactions between a central AOC and trial courts. This joint effort has been an extension of NCSC’s special three year (2008-2011) Harvard Executive Session for State Court Leaders in the 21st Century, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the State Justice Institute, and directed at improving the knowledge and principles of state court leadership and governance.

7:30 to 8:30am Continental Breakfast (East Foyer)

8:30am – TRIAL COURT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (Salons EFGH)
Session Materials: PDF1, PDF2, PDF3, PPTX

Welcome and Introductions
- Michael Buenger, Administrative Director, Supreme Court of Ohio
- Mary Campbell McQueen, President, National Center for State Courts
Leading in Loosely Coupled Systems
Differences in leading loosely and tightly coupled organizations; comparisons to health care and education; relevant models of leadership including “Small L leadership,” Heifetz’s adaptive model, and systems-based leadership.
Skill One: Creating Productive Pairs across Judicial-Administrative Boundaries
Characteristics and development of executive teams; negotiating roles and responsibilities.
2016 NATIONAL CENTER’S CHIEF JUSTICE WARREN BURGER AWARD (Salons EFGH)
- Award Recipient: Russell R. Brown III, Court Administrator, Cleveland Municipal Court
- Award Presenter: Mary Campbell McQueen, President, National Center for State Courts
Working Buffet Lunch and Team Building Exercises (East Foyer)
Skill Two: Clarifying Decision Rights in Loosely Coupled Organizations
How organizations get stuck around roles, decision-making, and delegation; thinking systematically; tools to clarify critical decisions in the trial court environment.
Skill Three: Using Influence to Get Things Done in Courts
Influence as a core leadership skill; key dimensions of influence; understanding your influence strengths and challenges.

THE PRINCIPAL FACULTY…

BARRY DORNFELD, Principal, co-leads the Center for Applied Research’s (CFAR’s) Life Sciences and Higher Education Groups. He has been a strategic advisor to organizations in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and is an expert on organizational change, governance, and collaboration. He draws on his many years of consulting, teaching, and industry experience to help guide clients through complex business issues, develop a strategy for change, and to learn from their experience. Barry also teaches extensively, leading workshops on negotiation, board governance, strategy, influence and persuasion, and organizational change, and leading action-learning programs. He speaks to a wide range of groups in many industries with a focus on healthcare, life sciences, not-for-profits, and higher education, and has taught and spoken in many settings in the US and internationally, including extensive experience with Wharton’s Executive Education division. In addition to his academic positions, Barry has presented to a range of client audiences including the Association for Women in Science, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals, and the Temple University School of Law.

Barry’s experience as an anthropologist and filmmaker trained him to listen and ask questions, so that he can work with executives in ways that are attuned to their needs, culture, and learning styles, and that help them reach their business goals. These skills help him connect to clients easily, work productively in a variety of settings, and effectively advise and teach executives. His recent work in the life sciences and higher education has focused on ways to help organizational leaders maximize value across strategic partnerships such as those with academic medical centers and medical professional societies. The objective of this work is to optimize the investments in these organizational relationships relative to basic research, clinical research and trials, scientific information exchange, marketing, and educational curricula and programming.

Barry is co-author of The Moment You Can’t Ignore: When Big Trouble Leads to a Great Future, published by Public Affairs Books in October 2014.

MAL O’CONNOR, Vice President and Principal, Center for Applied Research (CFAR) has worked for more than 20 years with senior executives in a broad range of for-profit and non-profit organizations. He works with leaders to implement systemic changes that strengthen cultural values while measurably improving performance and productivity. He has worked in many industries, including health care and life sciences, insurance and financial services, foundations, and higher education. He is co-leader of the firm’s Life Sciences practice area, and has contributed significantly to the development of CFAR’s change methodology.

Trained as an ethnographer, Mal helps organizations meet the challenges of changing behavior in the service of new strategic imperatives. This makes him particularly attuned to how people think—to why and how differences matter, and to the impact those differences have on achieving desired results. He works with clients to harness the often-tacit beliefs and assumptions of employees, managers and leaders, working with—rather than against resistance—to generate improved performance. His work has included strategy and system-wide strategic change, board and executive development, team building, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, performance management and the business case for cultural diversity.

Mal is an experienced speaker and meeting facilitator. He has spoken to both large and small executive audiences in corporations, trade associations, executive education programs, and industry and other business groups. Some of these include The Conference Board, the American College of Healthcare Executives, ELAM, The Healthcare Business Women’s Association, The National Center for State Courts, Yankee Alliance, the American Pediatrics Association, as well as the leadership teams of numerous CFAR clients.

Mal holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Fairfield University, and a Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations, ACHE Massachusetts, the American Folklore Society, and NEHI, and is a faculty member in the Program in Organizational Consultation at the William Alanson White Institute.

3:30 to 6:00pm – Exhibit Show (East Foyer)
4:30 to 6:00pm – WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTION (East Foyer)
A special wine and cheese reception has been arranged by NAPCO, the newly formed professional association for leadership judges and court administrators/executives, where conferees can learn more about the organization and its partnership with the National Center for State Courts to advance sound principles and skills in the governance and management of the nation’s courts. NAPCO Board Members and representatives of the National Center will be present to talk about the activities of both organizations.

OPTIONAL EVENING EVENTS
The judges and staff of the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County have arranged an optional outing for those that would like to learn more about Cleveland, its history, special cafes, and unique neighborhoods. Lolly Trollies will take conferees and their guests from the Marriott Hotel to one of two historic neighborhoods near downtown with a mixture of restaurants where you can enjoy the local cuisine. As the Trollies proceed to restaurants, tour guides will highlight information about Cleveland landmarks. The hardest decision of the evening will be to pick your destination. Conference staff from the Common Pleas Court will provide a list of restaurants and offer recommendations. The Trollies will pick- up conferees and their guests at pre-arranged locations for the return trip to the hotel.

The Murray Hill Little Italy Neighborhood developed in the mid-1800’s on the city’s eastside. Many Italian families who came to Cleveland to work settled here. Today, over 20 galleries and 15 restaurants thrive in this urban village. Case Western Reserve University, museums, the Cleveland Symphony, and the city’s botanical garden are within walking distance of Little Italy.

Cleveland’s Tremont Historic Victorian Neighborhood, developed about the same time Little Italy was settled, is on the city’s south side. The community centers on Lincoln Park, a large green area lined with historic churches, trendy restaurants, art galleries, artist studios, and restored Victorian homes. Once the site of the short-lived Cleveland University, the streets still reflect the past with names like “Literary,” “Professor,” and “University.”

6:00pm – Lolly Trollies leave Marriott Hotel Lobby (pick your destination)
- Murray Hill Little Italy Neighborhood
- Tremont Historic Victorian Neighborhood
7:00pm – Dinner on Your Own at Recommended Local Restaurants
8:30pm – Lolly Trollies Pick-up at pre-arranged locations and return Guests to Marriott Hotel
- Murray Hill Little Italy Neighborhood
- Tremont Historic Victorian Neighborhood
8:30 to 11:00pm – Networking Suite (Erie/Superior)

Tuesday, September 27: Court Leadership Workshops

BREAKFAST DISCUSSIONS (OPTIONAL)

7:30 to 8:30am – Hosted Continental Breakfast and Facilitated, Shared-Interest Groups
Court leaders who have developed and managed programs in four key areas of trial court operations will guide casual discussions over breakfast among interested attendees about four important topics in court operations. Feel free to join a group, meet fellow participants with similar interests, and gain tips on improving your court from those who have “been there; done that.”
- Shared Interest Group 1 – Self-Represented Litigants (Salon D)
  Session Materials: PDF
  Facilitators: Hon. Janet Barton; Court Executive Raymond Billotte
- Shared Interest Group 2 – Evidence-Based Sentencing (Salons ABC)
  Session Materials: PDF
  Facilitators: Hon. John J. Russo; Court Executive Greg Popovich
- Shared Interest Group 3 – Local Rules on the Role, Duties and Power of PJs (Erie/Superior)
  Session Materials: PDF
  Facilitators: Hon. Frederick P. Horn; NCSC President Mary McQueen
- Shared Interest Group 4 – How to Conduct a Caseflow Analysis and Prompt Improvements (Huron)
  Session Materials: PDF
  Facilitators: Hon. Patricia K. Costello; NCSC Consultant Gordon Griller

MORNING PROGRAM

8:30 to 8:45am – 2016 JUSTICE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE’S ERNEST C. FRIESEN AWARD (Salons EFGH)
- Award Recipient: Gordon Griller, NAPCO Executive Director; NCSC Court Consultant
- Award Presenter: Elaine Borakove, President, Justice Management Institute
8:45 to 9:30am – KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Courage as a Necessary Skill in Court Leadership (Salons EFGH)
SPEAKER: Hon. Karl DeMarce, Municipal Division Work Group, Supreme Court of Missouri
Session Materials: PDF
Courageous leadership is about solving tough problems. The riots in Ferguson, Missouri, following the Michael Brown shooting sparked a Department of Justice investigation that revealed a city court system that largely abandoned its role as a court of law, violated its Constitutional responsibilities, and fixated instead on revenue generation. It also led to the disclosure of similar problems in other municipal divisions throughout the state. In response, the Missouri Supreme Court appointed a special Municipal Division Work Group to review and recommend changes. Judge DeMarce, a member of the Work Group, will share his thoughts about what it takes to lead in difficult times and how the remaking of Missouri’s troubled limited jurisdiction courts calls for courageous leadership.
9:45 to 10:45am – Concurrent Workshops
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility for PJs, Chiefs and CEOs (Salon D)
  Session Materials: DOC, PPTX
  Life can be complicated for judges when personal rights and judicial ethics collide over such issues as same sex marriage and adoptions, religious practices (prayer in chambers, Ten Commandments, etc.) and “private interactions.” What are the responsibilities of those who oversee the court system to ensure greater levels of public trust, transparency, fairness and accountability on the part of all those who work in the judicial branch?
  - Victoria B. Henley, Chief Counsel, California Commission on Judicial Performance
  - Cynthia Gray, Director, Center for Judicial Ethics, National Center for State Courts
  - Hon. Richard D. Fybel, Associate Justice, 4th District Court of Appeal, State of California
  - Moderator: Hon. Frederick P. Horn, NAPCO Chair, Board of Directors
- Instituting Civil Justice Reforms in Trial Courts (Salons EFGH)
  Session Materials: PPT, PDF1, PDF2
  The high cost, complexity, and delays in the civil legal system have created a crisis in access to justice. Across the nation, a chorus of judges, lawyers, business leaders, consumer advocates, and court improvement organizations are calling for changes to reduce costs, streamline processes, provide alternatives, and quicken the pace of litigation. The Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) recently developed guidelines and best practices for civil litigation based on evidence derived from state pilot projects, research and stakeholder input. Learn more about these new directions at this workshop and how they can help your trial court to improve its civil caseflow.
  - Hon. Jerome Abrams, Co-Chair, CCJ Task Force on Civil Justice Improvements
  - Hon. Patricia K. Costello, Chiesa, Shahinian & Giantomasi, PC; Assignment Judge (ret.), Superior Court of New Jersey
  - Stephanie Hess, Esq., Court Services Director, Administrative Office of the Ohio Courts
- Pretrial Programs I: What the Science Says; Why Leaders Need to Act (Salons ABC)
  Session Materials: DOC
  It has long been recognized by scholars and many justice system stakeholders that the American system of bail and bond release from jail is inherently unfair to the poor, and damages due process guarantees in many ways. Since 1977, the Pretrial Justice Institute has conducted extensive research and developed useful, practical solutions to help jurisdictions move from a resource-based to a risk-based bail decision-making process to decrease jail costs, reduce overcrowd detention centers, create safer communities, and avoid unnecessary, long incarcerations for the poor. This workshop will outline what court leaders must understand to stimulate change in their home jurisdictions.
  - Tim Murray, Director, Pretrial Justice Institute
10:45 to 11:00am – BREAK
11:00am to Noon – Concurrent Workshops
- What Court Leaders Need to Know and Do about E-Filing (Salons ABC)
  Session Materials: PDF1, PDF2, PDF3, PPTX1, PPTX2
  The speed, quantity, and quality of digitized data, voice, and images, and their related business processes, are revolutionizing the way courts operate and interact with the public and numerous justice system communities. Many courts are moving away from paper-based systems to e-filing with “paper on demand.” It is significant and sometimes difficult shift. What are the problems encountered? How do court leaders phase the transition? When, how, and where do you require the public to “go electronic?” These questions and others will be explored in this workshop as encountered in a state that is just beginning to move to e-filing (Illinois) and a neighboring one where e-filing has been fully implemented (Iowa).
  - Hon. Christopher (Kip) Starck, Judicial Coordinator, Illinois Judicial Branch e-filing Project
  - Hon. Pamela Pryor Dembe (ret), President Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, PA
  - David Boyd, State Court Administrator, Iowa Judicial Branch
- Crisis Management in Trial Courts: Strategies to Weather the Storm (Salons EFGH)
  Session Materials: PDF & PPTX
  What strategies should court leaders use to deal with sudden and significant courtwide negative events? An unexpected budget shortfall. A courthouse shooting. A bomb scare. A flood, earthquake, hurricane or tornado. A malware attack or computer system failure. Best practices include planning in detail for responses to as many potential crises as possible, establishing monitoring systems and practices to detect early warning signals of any foreseeable crisis, establishing and training a crisis management team, and involving as many stakeholders as possible in all planning and action stages.
  - Hon. Margaret S. Harris, Presiding Judge, Harris County TX Criminal Courts of Law (Houston)
  - Ed Wells, Court Manager, Harris County TX Criminal Courts of Law (Houston)
  - Bob Wessels, NAPCO Board Member
- The Price of Justice: Rethinking Fines, Fees, and Court Costs (Salon D)
  Session Materials: PDF, MP4
  Recently a National Task Force on Court Fines and Fees was established by the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators to address the ongoing issue of court ordered monetary obligations with special attention to the impact on those who are indigent. Activities of the Task Force will be highlighted. Best practices for limited jurisdiction courts will also be identified as developed by the National Center last year in response to a DOJ Report on problems with the Ferguson Missouri Police Department and Municipal Court. Russell Brown was a subject matter expert on that project. Finally, a new study, Justice for All, issued by the Arizona Judicial Branch laying out strategies for improving that state’s fines and fees processes will be reviewed by Judge Cruz which provides a variety of sound tips and techniques that other states may wish to explore.
  - Hon. Maria Elena Cruz, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of Arizona in Yuma County
  - Scott Griffith, President, National Association for Court Management
  - Russell R. Brown, III, Court Administrator, Cleveland Municipal Court
  - Dan Hall (moderator), Vice President, Court Consulting Services, National Center for State Courts
Noon to 1:45pm – Court Vendor Exhibit & Hosted Buffet Lunch (East Foyer)
Twenty-five companies that market products and services to trial courts ranging from sophisticated electronic case management systems to courthouse signage will be present. A buffet lunch will be served in the Vendor Exhibit Area to permit conferees to review the products and talk with company representatives.

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

2:00 to 3:00pm – Concurrent Workshops
- Negative Public Attitudes about Trial Courts and How to Transform Them (Salons ABC)
  Session Materials: PDF
  “The State of State Courts: A NCSC Public Opinion Survey” recently conducted for the Center by a professional polling agency revealed some good news and bad news. On the positive side, the public continues to view courts as the most trusted branch of government. Court users express confidence in the fairness of the proceedings, but have doubts about customer service and job performance. There is also a strong demand for greater availability of online services. One of the biggest public worries, however, is that politics may be undermining the impartiality of the court system. With these mixed reviews, how can court leaders enhance public perceptions about the courts?
  - Lorri Montgomery, Director, Communications, National Center for State Courts
  - Hon. Janet E. Barton, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County
  - Beth Riggert, Communications Counsel, Supreme Court of Missouri
- Pretrial Programs II: How to Build a Pilot Program and Evaluate the Results (Salons EFGH)
  Session Materials: PDF, PPTX
  As greater attention focuses on pretrial incarceration and mounting data supports proven, evidence-based alternatives to traditional bail and bond release processes, increasing numbers of courts are developing and testing new, vetted risk assessment tools to aid judges in determining if jailed defendants should be held, released and/or monitored. To change long-held, unsubstantiated attitudes, values and beliefs favoring pervasive pretrial detention, it often takes a pilot program and verifiable evaluation data. This workshop outlines processes, techniques and actions court leaders can initiate in their home jurisdictions to modernize bail and bond setting as well as developing alternatives to it.
  - Hon. Alan G. Davis, Chief Magistrate, Delaware Justice of the Peace Courts
  - Raymond L. Billotte, Administrator, Arizona Judicial Branch in Maricopa County
  - Tim Murray, Director, Pretrial Justice Institute
- Emerging Court Technologies to Save Adjudication Time and Money (Salon D)
  Session Materials: PDF, PPTX1, PPTX2, PPTX3, WEB, YOUTUBE
  State trial courts are experimenting and adopting ever increasing ways to utilize and expand modern technology in useful and novel ways for both business and adjudication processes. Video transcripts of proceedings an hour or less in length may be submitted to the Arizona Appeals Court. Remote video technology is becoming widespread in many states. In some courts, parties can now electronically check-in, instantly updating e-dockets to speed hearings. This workshop will present and discuss practical ways high-tech can save time and money.
  - Mike Bridenback, Court Consultant, Trial Court Administrator (ret.), Circuit Court of Florida
  - Hon. Kirk W. Tabby, District Court 14A of Michigan, Ypsilanti, Michigan
  - Jim McMillian, Principal Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts
  - Snorri Ogata, Chief Technology Officer, Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County
3:00 to 3:15pm – BREAK
3:30 to 4:30pm – Plenary Presentation
- Socratic Panel: Judges Leading Judges OR “The War of the Parts against the Whole” Dealing Effectively as a Judge-Leader with Troublesome Issues from Colleagues (Salons EFGH)
  Session Materials: PDF, PPTX1, PPTX2, PPTX3, PPTX4
  In loosely-coupled court organizations, some judges not only believe the definition of judicial independence means freedom from control by other branches and freedom to make case-related decisions, but freedom from oversight by leadership judges and administrators, too. How best do presiding judges, essentially “first among equals” serving limited tenures as leaders, deal with vexatious issues created by their colleagues? A number of scenarios will be presented to presiding judges who have served in those capacities and those in the midst of the action now. Audience participation will be invited.
  - Judges Janet Barton, Pamela Pryor Dembe, Roxanne Song Ong, and John J. Russo
  - Provocateur: Hon. Dennis J. Smith (ret.), Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Virginia in Fairfax County

OPTIONAL EVENING EVENTS

4:45pm – Lolly Trollies leave Marriott Hotel Lobby for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Hotel Lobby)
Business casual attire is recommended. Conferee guests are welcome.
5:00 to 6:30pm – Special Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tour
Rock and roll originated in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, from a combination of African-American genres such as blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues, jazz, and gospel music together with Western swing and country music. Over the years, it became an American art form that changed the world of rhythm and song. To celebrate its impact and memorialize the creative talents of those musicians who expanded its worldwide reach, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum was built in Cleveland. It overlooks Lake Erie and has welcomed over 8 million visitors. A special tour for NAPCO participants and guests begins at 5:00 PM at the top of the building and winds its way to the Main Exhibit Hall where NAPCO attendees will have private access from 5:30 to 6:30pm.
6:45pm – Hosted Buffet at NFL Cleveland Browns’ Draft Room overlooking Lake Erie
Lolly Trollies leave Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and transport participants and guests
9:00 to 10:30pm – Networking Suite (Erie/Superior)

Wednesday, September 26: Hot Topics | Cool Solutions; NAPCO Annual Meeting

7:30 to 8:30am – Breakfast on Your Own
8:30 to 9:30am – Hot Topics | Cool Solutions
- Pandemic Planning: What to Do When Ebola or Zika Come to Town (Salons ABC)
  Session Materials: PPTX
  Pandemic concerns throughout the world have been at heightened levels recently since global travel can permit the rapid spread of viruses and disease. Numerous legal and operational issues for courts have surfaced. As an example in October 2014, Maine resident Kaci Hickox, a nurse, defied a state-ordered quarantine after returning from working with Ebola patients in West Africa. A practical solution that protected the public, preserved individual rights, and ended a 3-day standoff between Ms. Hickox and the state was forged by Judge LaVerdiere. This workshop reviews ways court leaders need to proactively respond.
  - Nora Sydow, Esq., Senior Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts
  - Hon. Charles C. LaVerdiere, Chief Judge, Maine District Courts
  - J. Joseph Baxter, Jr., State Court Administrator, Rhode Island
- High Profile Trials: Smart Ways to Manage Them in Today’s World (Salons EFGH)
  Managing high profile trials in the “court of public opinion” is a skill trial judges and court leaders often have to acquire quickly; although nationally, such trials are rare. But because they are so closely watched, how courts manage them has a disproportionate impact on public trust and confidence in the justice system. How to oversee and establish requirements for procedural fairness, and simultaneously provide access to the media, especially regarding new internet-based news sources such as blogs and social media like Facebook and Twitter, is challenging. Join us to learn useful techniques, approaches, and best practices, many of which are featured on a new on-line NCSC information site for judges and courts. Judge O’Donnell recently tried the Michael Brelo case involving a Cleveland police officer charged with manslaughter after firing more than 40 shots at two unarmed suspects following a police chase. Judge Michael Russo handled the Ariel Castro case. Castro was accused of kidnapping and imprisoning three young women for more than a decade in his Cleveland home. Castro eventually pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. He hanged himself in his jail cell shortly after sentencing. Judge Dick Ambrose presided over a jury trial involving a defendant named, Anthony Sowell. Mr. Sowell was convicted of murdering eleven women and attempting to murder two others. He was also charged with over 70 counts of rape, kidnapping and various other crimes. Mr. Sowell was ultimately sentenced to death. The case received substantial national and international attention from various news sources and several books have been written about the case.
  - Hon. John O’Donnell, Judge, Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
  - Hon. Michael Russo, Judge, Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
  - Hon. Dick Ambrose, Judge, Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
  - Greg Popovich, Esq., Court Administrator, Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
  - Moderator: Ms. Beth Riggert, Public Information Officer, Missouri Judicial Branch
9:30 to 9:45am – BREAK
9:45 to 10:45am – Hot Topics | Cool Solutions (cont’d)
- Digital Evidence: Smart Ways to Deal with Body-Worn Cameras (Salons EFGH)
  Session Materials: PDF
  The growth of body-worn cameras by law enforcement officers has and will continue to affect litigation issues in the courts. This session examines some of the likely impacts on state courts, offers a review of current case law and various state statutes, and updates court leaders about the likely impacts and implications of this new, fast-growing technology.
  - Greg Hurley, Esq., Senior Court Management Analyst, National Center for State Courts
  - Patrick H. Muscat, Wayne County Michigan Prosecutor’s Office (Greater Detroit)
- Employee Engagement: The Science behind Workplace Motivation (Salons ABC)
  Session Materials: PPTX
  As many local and state government budgets remain constrained and salaries depressed, how do court leaders continue to motivate and encourage high productivity? How can staff be retained? How do bosses bring out the best in the workforce? Research shows employee engagement and morale is driven more by what people do and a supportive work environment than by money. This interactive workshop will not only provide baseline data and research on employee engagement, but will offer practical, day-to-day examples of how court leaders can improve staff morale from two experienced court administrators who have worked in and consulted with a variety of courts across the country.
  - Ray Billotte, Administrator, Arizona Judicial Branch in Maricopa County
  - Gordy Griller, Executive Director, NAPCO
11:00am to 12:30pm – NAPCO Annual Meeting (Salons ABC)
12:30pm – Adjournment