National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

If a nation has no independent judiciary, rights are merely ’empty promises’

Judicial independence. Some have pointed out that a remarkable feature of this principle is how few words it takes to enunciate it, and how many years it takes to understand and implement it. Others speak reverently about the principle while referencing phrases such as “separation of powers” and “rule of law.” After 28 years of judicial experience, I now have a firm grasp of the principle of judicial independence. I am further aided in my understanding of the principle by looking at our nation’s history.

Bail industry battles reforms that threaten its livelihood

A little more than a year ago, New Jersey all but eliminated cash bail for criminal defendants, except for those charged with certain violent offenses. Since the reforms took effect January 1, 2017, the county jail population is down 16 percent, says then-attorney general Christopher Porrino, who left office on January 16, when the new governor was sworn in. And preliminary numbers show a 5 percent decrease in violent crime over the year.

Hennepin County MN District Court eReminder System Cuts Failures to Appear

Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District, serving Hennepin County (Minneapolis and the surrounding 46 suburbs) has recently developed an eReminder pilot with a private vendor. As the name reflects, this is an electronic reminder application which pulls information from the court’s information database (a tailored Tyler Technologies Odyssey® case management system) to issue the reminders. No additional work is needed by court staff to send the reminder.

NAPCO Report of Activities – January 2018

NAPCO held its Second Annual Leadership Academy and Conference at the Scottsdale, Arizona, DoubleTree Resort, September 24-27, 2017. It was hosted by the Arizona Judicial Branch in Maricopa County. The theme, “Champions of Change: Presiding Judges and Court Executives,” began with a day-long Leadership Academy facilitated by Dr. Barry Dornfeld, Center for Applied Research, and the National Center for State Courts, where judge-leaders and court administrators learned how to utilize a court’s culture as an asset for change.

National Judicial Outreach Week: March 4-10, 2018

Over the past few years, the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division has developed a new community education program about the work courts do every day called “Preserving the Rule of Law.” In 2018, the ABA has designated the week of March 4-10 as National Judicial Outreach Week and encourages all active and retired judges to invite their communities to their courthouses or go out into their communities to meet with the public and talk about the importance of the justice system, courts, and the Rule of Law.

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.

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.