National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

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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Juror Questioning during Criminal Trials Common in Arizona

The lawyer’s were done asking the questions, and it was the jury’s turn. Steven Jones sat nervously in the witness box Friday morning as his trial on murder and assault charges raced toward a close with jurors posing their own queries to him. Sometimes jury questions can show which way a jury is leaning. Friday morning’s questions showed mostly that jurors had been paying attention. And they offered insights into areas where the lawyers didn’t go. Jones’ extensive gun training, for example, and his knowledge of first aid.

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New website offers resources for high-profile trials

A high-profile case can land in your court with little or no warning. If unprepared, such cases can create chaos, absorb resources, and place your court at the center of an intense media spotlight. Judges and court professionals now have instant online access to the tools necessary to plan and manage high-profile cases in their courts. The new Managing High-Profile Cases for the 21st Century website is a joint project of the National Center for State Courts, the Conference of Court Public Information Officers, and the National Judicial College. The project was made possible through a State Justice Institute grant.

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New ABA Book published on Improving Administration of Justice in U.S. Courts

Recently, the ABA’s Lawyers’ Conference announced the availability of the eighth edition of The Improvement of the Administration of Justice, the Conference’s periodic treatise on various elements of the judicial system and how things have been improved over the last 15 years since the previous edition hit the streets in 2002. Articles are written by academics, practitioners, judges and court executives. The book is divided into six sections: The Judicial System, Judicial Officers, Court Operations, Case Presentation, Specialized Courts, and Serving the Community. While these topics can be being quite broad, with each section possibly standing as a volume of its own, the new edition brings the focus back to the administration of justice and how it can be improved.

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