National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

Vaccine hesitancy: It’s not about knowledge

Someone once said, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Some of us know for sure that the mRNA vaccine will give you COVID-19, or contains aborted fetal tissue or “hell man, this virus thing is a hoax.” Their beliefs act as a powerful repellant to medical evidence and physician advice. Anti-vaxxers are few in number but their fears have spread faster than the virus itself. Vaccine hesitancy has slowed the progress of herd immunity to a level that healthcare officials have begun to think about an acceptable number of COVID-19 deaths in a post-pandemic world. A question raised recently in Nature, a leading British science journal.

2021 Conference Changed to Virtual Only

New infections of the wildly contagious delta variant have been rising nationally and in the Boston region over the past week, including indoor gatherings where face coverings and social distancing occur. As a result, NAPCO’s Executive Committee, including Conference organizers at the Massachusetts Trial Court, have closely monitored the situation. Based on our assessment, the best and safest course of action, given what we know, is to move the Conference to a virtual, online event only and abort the in-person gathering. We are disappointed and heartbroken

State, Local Trial Courts Now Eligible for JAG Funding from DOJ

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the White House recently provided some renewed guidance regarding the use of Byrne-Justice Assistance Grants funding for the current FY2021 grant cycle that they have brought to the attention of state court leaders as recently reported by Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, president of the CCJ, and State Court Administrator Laurie Dudgeon, president of COSCA.

Burke, Stawicki: Chauvin case proved the value and efficacy of cameras in the courtroom. Let them in.

Opponents have long argued that cameras would taint the legal process and deny defendants fair trials: jurors would be reluctant to serve; judges and attorneys would grandstand; and witnesses would be afraid to testify. That didn’t happen in the Chauvin trial — jury selection wrapped up early; the judge controlled the courtroom; and witnesses testified. Too often, the cameras-in-the-courtroom argument is framed as all or nothing: They are in and can show anything and anyone in the courtroom, or they are out.

WEBINAR: PJ & CEO Teambuilding – Blending Governance & Leadership Principles, Roles, Responsibilities

On June 17, 2021, the National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers presented a webinar entitled Presiding Judge / Court Executive Officer Teambuilding: Blending Governance & Leadership Principles, Roles, Responsibilities.

Data helps California Court Officials During the Pandemic

In Orange County, California, judges and other court leaders have managed emergencies with the help of their three-legged stool: people, process and technology. The coronavirus pandemic forced them to add a fourth leg – data – which they now recognize as essential to keeping the stool more stable. That insight came from an interview conducted by NCSC researchers Diane Robinson and Allison Trochesset, who wrote about it in a recently published paper about how Orange County court administrators have used data to allow their court to operate more efficiently during the pandemic.

WEBINAR: Jurors and Jury Trials in a Post-COVID World

On May 27, 2021, the National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers presented a webinar about promoting racial diversity and better fact-finding in jury trials. MODERATOR Hon. Gregory Mize (ret.), Judicial Fellow, Center for Jury Studies, National Center for State Courts PRESENTERS Hon. Pamela Gates, Civil Presiding Judge, Superior Court, Maricopa County (Arizona)…

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