National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

Why have Felony Murder Rates Soared? …a Look at Rising Serious Crime in America

It was a short honeymoon. On January 1st, Alvin Bragg assumed the office of Manhattan district attorney. One of the new class of “progressive prosecutors” – criminal justice reformers who aim to reduce the number of people in prison – Mr. Bragg launched a spate of policy changes. Offenses like burglary and possession of certain weapons would be downgraded; other crimes like prostitution and resisting arrest would no longer be prosecuted at all. Weeks later, New York City witnessed a sudden surge in violent crime. Two police officers were killed on the job. Mr. Bragg had to announce a U-turn.

WEBINAR: Courts, Democracy and the Polarization of America… Ways to Strengthen Public Trust in the Rule of Law

Guardians of the rule of law is a phrase often used to define the overall purpose of courts in the United States. Although there are many procedural and substantive dimensions to this concept, it essentially means an independent judiciary is entrusted with safeguarding the law as the highest authority in society. It requires courts to apply the law fairly, equally, and factually (truthfully) to all persons and all public and private institutions, including the government itself.

WEBINAR: Arizona’s Groundbreaking Venture… Eliminating Peremptory Challenges

This webinar, originally presented on January 27, 2022, examines how the Arizona courts responded to the announcement by the Arizona Supreme Court in 2021 that peremptory challenges would be eliminated.

WEBINAR: The Importance and Value of Kindness in Leading Courts

The need to lead with kindness in times of increased uncertainty and stress – the pandemic – is undeniable. Court leaders are expected to show a more empathetic style of leadership in such situations. Most do. But as COVID-19 and its many variants eventually evolve to become a flu-like menace, kindness as a leadership principle will remain.

2022 Court Leadership Academy & Conference in Anaheim

NAPCO’s 2022 Court Leadership Academy & Conference will be held August 21-24, 2022, at the Anaheim Hilton in Anaheim, California.

The Omicron Variant: How Employers Should Respond

of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is once again forcing employers to reconsider the measures they are taking to protect employees, customers, suppliers, and distributors. This article — an updated version of a piece published in July 2021 when the Delta variant was sweeping the United States — offers guidelines.

Courts and the 2020 Elections: Partisans for Truth and the Rule of Law

Courts across the United States—state and federal—consistently rejected efforts to upend the 2020 presidential election based on unsupported allegations of fraud or other illegality. They showed their commitment to the rule of law and their vital role in providing forums where claims are resolved based on evidence and reasoned debate. But while courts are a necessary bulwark for our democracy, events since November 2020 have underscored that we cannot rely on courts alone. In a time of increasing partisanship and the use of disinformation to undermine trust in government and other institutions, we must work to strengthen our courts, not only in their adjudicatory role, but also as exemplars of how we should distinguish fact from fantasy in addressing our nation’s challenges.

2022 CONFERENCE

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