National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

2018 Trial Court Leadership Conference

The Trial Court Leadership Conference will be held October 14-17, 2018, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. This three-day conference features team and competency skills building for local and state court leaders, and a series of workshops on current and emerging issues impacting courts. Leadership judges and court administrators are encouraged to attend as teams. Judges and administrators attending on their own are also welcome.

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Change is Happening in St Louis County Missouri, Home to Ferguson

Three years after the death of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, long-overdue systemic reform of St. Louis County’s municipal court system is underway. With new state law, new Missouri Supreme Court minimum operating standards and new local court rules in place to compel reform, the hard work of change is moving forward.

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Jury Duty seen as Good Citizenship by Most Americans

According to a recent Pew Research Survey, the chances of serving on a jury in any given year are small, but most Americans still see it as part of being a good citizen. 67% of U.S, adults said serving on a jury “is part of what it means to be a good citizen.” Only 31% took the opposite view and said jury duty service “does not have much to do with being a good citizen.”

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How do we deal with the manmade hurricane of racial bigotry?

Natural hurricanes bring humane responses. But how do we deal with the manmade hurricane of racial bigotry? Our nation has seen the horror that Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused. What happened was not simply the loss of life, but the ravaging and destruction of communities that at best will take years to rebuild. There is no silver lining in this tragedy. Yes, we came together. Yes, the traditionally broken Congress acted swiftly to fund a response, but if you are a victim it will take a long time to heal. Or, is there a silver lining?

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2017 Conference Speakers

HON. ROXANNE BAILIN is a former District Court Judge. Roxanne Bailin was Chief Judge of the 20th Judicial District (Boulder County) from 1998 to 2013. She was named to the county bench in 1983 and to the district court bench in 1987. Prior to being appointed County Judge, Judge Bailin was a Clinical Professor and… Continue Reading 2017 Conference Speakers

Grand Juries and Police Use-of-Force Cases

Associate Professor Jonathan Witmer-Rich of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law published an article titled Restoring the Independence to the Grand Jury: A Victim Advocate for Police Use of Force Cases in the most recent edition of the Cleveland State Law Review. His article is an effort to address the recent mistrust of the grand jury process by some members of the public.

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The Ethics of a Sanctuary Courthouse

In light of the recent aggressive federal enforcement of immigration law, some legal and judicial leaders in the states have asserted courts as “safe harbors” for immigrants. The Maryland attorney general asserted in a letter to federal authorities in March of this year that he did not want the most vulnerable immigrants to be discouraged from seeking judicial protection and medical care. By declaring courts and hospitals “safe locations,” the attorney general’s letter reassures members of this vulnerable population that they can continue to use these services without fear.

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