|
|
| Release Date: December 13, 2002 | Release Number: 89 |
San Francisco—The Judicial Council of California today announced the recipients of the 2002 Ralph N. Kleps Awards for Improvement in Administration of the Courts, an annual awards program recognizing innovation in the state’s courts.
Selected from a field of 44 nominations, the council selected 10 exemplary programs for awards that will be presented at the California Judicial Administration Conference (CJAC), scheduled for February 24–27, 2003.
Created in 1991 in honor of Ralph N. Kleps, the first administrative director of the California courts, the awards are given in five categories, according to the number of authorized judicial positions in each group. Programs nominated for the awards are judged on four criteria. The programs must be:
Amador Becomes Its Own Employer: Superior Court of Amador
County
When the court became its own employer July 1, 2001, it successfully
absorbed all fiscal and administrative functions from the county in a rigorous
one-year project. Without additional funding resources, the court
established a strategic plan and implemented all phases of the project
in one year—absorbing accounting, payroll, human resources, and procurement
functions. The court became an employer in the eyes of the federal
and state governments, opened a bank account, and researched and implemented
fiscal systems. It also created fiscal and personnel policies and
procedures, new classification plans, and has completed labor negotiations.
Court to Community: Teen Parenting: Superior Court of San Benito
County
The Court to Community; Teen Parenting project is an outreach effort
designed to inform teenagers about the legal and financial consequences
when a child is born and the parents are (a) not living together and (b)
not financially independent and/or (c) not yet 18. The objective
is to reduce unplanned pregnancies and births where the children of teens
become dependent on family members or public assistance. The project
is an interactive presentation in which court staff (judges, commissioners,
staff attorneys) and family law counsel take on roles of court commissioner
and family law facilitator in a skit performed with members of the student
audience. The skit includes a mock interview between a teen father
and a facilitator, and a mock courtroom hearing. Feedback evaluations
from approximately 500 students over the last three years indicate a high
level of effectiveness, as well as sincere appreciation for the court’s
effort.
Category 2: Courts With 7-19 AJPs
Public Law Center: Superior Court of Nevada County
The court established a Public Law Center to assist the growing number
of self-represented individuals involved in the court system and improve
access to justice for all members of the community. This legal self-help
center provides information to individuals who are not represented by an
attorney and who may have to navigate through court procedures on a number
of legal issues such as adoption, conservatorship, guardianship, name changes,
unlawful detainer, traffic, appeals, civil harassment, neighbor disputes,
and jury service. The center provides self-help information to the
public in the form of books, brochures, online research, online links to
other courts, computer forms, videos, forms packets with instructions,
and lists of alternate community resources.
Juvenile Violence Court: Superior Court of Yolo County
The Juvenile Violence Court (JVC) is a collaborative effort between
the superior court and the Yolo County Probation Department that has resulted
in an effective and cost-efficient response to reducing juvenile violence.
Fifteen at-risk juveniles with violent histories are chosen for each session.
Juveniles appear monthly in court, where the specially assigned probation
officer reports on each minor’s progress or missteps. As part of
the program each minor is also required to attend field trips to the California
Youth Authority Diversion/Reality Check and to San Quentin’s Squire Program
for Minors at Risk. Throughout the program minors keep personal journals.
Each minor’s school attendance is monitored daily, as well as other delinquent
behavior at home, and drug usage (random drug testing) or gang affiliations
(rooms are periodically searched for gang paraphernalia). All minors
are required to attend two hours of anger control classes for 12 weeks,
as well as peer meetings where a facilitator discusses topics such as conflict
resolution, self-esteem building, and the roots of violence and racism.
Category 3: Courts With 20–49 AJPs
“In The Interest of Justice” Video: Superior Court of San Joaquin
County
“In the Interest of Justice” is a cultural awareness video with accompanying
written materials produced by the Superior Court of San Joaquin County.
The video seeks to educate both the bench and court staff about the Cambodian,
Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese cultures by illustrating how cultural differences
can clash in the courtroom. For example, Southeast Asian formalities, such
as diverting eyes from people of authority as a way of showing respect,
can be misunderstood by American judges and judicial staff.
CLETS Interface: Superior Court of Sonoma County
The court developed a computer software program to allow automatic
electronic transmission of restraining order information from the superior
court case management system to the Department of Justice’s California
Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) automated computer system.
Information entered into the state CLETS system is accessible to all law
enforcement agencies in the state. The information it contains relates
to terms and conditions of domestic violence restraining orders, harassment
restraining orders, elder abuse, workplace violence, and criminal protective
orders.
Category 4: Courts With 50+ AJPs
Self-Help Forms Printing Kiosk: Superior Court of Orange County
The court installed self-service, high-speed kiosks at all seven of
the court’s justice center locations. The touch screen kiosk allows
the public instant access, at no cost, to all of the court’s approximately
575 preprinted forms for civil, small claims, family law, probate, and
criminal matters. Each time the user selects a form, the kiosk accesses
the California Courts Web site for the statewide form as well as the local
court’s public Web server for local forms. This ensures that the
user always sees and prints the latest version of the form.
Court Certificate Program: Superior Court of Riverside County
To enhance court staff’s skills and performance through continuing
professional education and development, the court created a Court Certificate
Program. The program provides an opportunity for full-time, permanent
employees to develop their professional and personal skills and build self-esteem.
Eligible employees agree to a minimum two-year commitment to attend internal
court training courses (held during work hours) and classes at a community
college (on their own personal time). The curriculum includes classes
in ethics, business, technology, communications, law, and customer service.
Staff that have completed this program are given special consideration
when applying for promotions and advancement.
On My Honor Law Education Program: Superior Court of San Diego
County
On My Honor was conceived by Judge Richard G. Cline of the Superior
Court of San Diego County, who collaborated with a local teacher to develop
the teacher’s guide and numerous lesson plans and activities. On
My Honor also includes a visit to the court and participation in a mock
trial. The program teaches youth about the legal system, the courts,
and the administration of justice. More than 1,900 students from
several school districts have participated in the program since its inception
in 2000, and judges from several divisions of the superior court have been
trained in its presentation. Accolades about the program received
from students include their expressions of thanks for the opportunity to
learn how the reality of the justice system differs from television portrayals.
Category 5: Appellate Courts
Appellate Mediation Program: Court of Appeal, First Appellate
District
The mediation program developed by the First Appellate District of
the Court of Appeal resolves litigation early in the appellate process,
before parties incur the cost of preparing briefs. By initiating
the mediation process, the court affords parties an opportunity for settlement
that they may not take on their own. A court-trained mediator is
assigned to a case based on his or her mediation skills and subject matter
expertise. The mediation process is informal and confidential and
maximizes parties’ participation in settling their dispute.
G:\Jc_serv\comm.\mayo\nr02\nr89-02