Keep The Courts Open

Funding cuts threaten public safety and access to the courts for businesses, families and children

Keep The Courts Open: Protect public safety for Fulton County Georgia residents and businesses who use our courts!
Sign the petition: http://bit.ly/KeepCourtsOpen

Justice Plan Would Slash Jail Population

Faster Case Processing Key to 54 Percent Reduction


ATLANTA – The Chief Judge of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit has proposed that Fulton County Commissioners approve a cost-saving plan that would greatly reduce the population of the overcrowded Fulton County Jail.

“Our strategy is to dramatically reduce the jail population from 2606 (outsourcing and main jail population) to 1200 by July 1st of 2010,” Chief Superior Court Judge Doris L. Downs wrote in an email sent Tuesday to Fulton Commissioners.

The Fulton County Jail, which is under federal court order to reduce the jail’s population to some 2200, is the largest single item in the Fulton County Justice System budget. Each day an inmate is held at the jail costs the county a minimum of $72. The county also must pay to house excess inmates above the court-ordered maximum in other Georgia jails.

Fulton justice system officials were notified on Nov. 18 that their portion of the county’s 2010 budget, which begins Jan. 1, would have to be cut by 25 percent or some $55 million. Chief Judge Downs and Fulton County District Attorney Paul L Howard Jr. and other justice system officials responded by saying that absorbing cuts of that magnitude would devastate each agency individually and have unacceptable systemic repercussions.

On Dec. 9, County budget officials returned with a proposal that the criminal justice system be cut by 11.7% or $25.4 million. Meeting almost daily since then justice system officials fashioned a plan that Judge Downs said will meet the county’s goal, if the justice system is allowed to retain current funding levels.

“We are proposing expediting the processing of the criminal cases in the next 6 months so that the jail population is reduced to 1200 inmates by July 1st of 2010. We believe that this goal is attainable but only if we are able to retain our employees and re-engineer the way we work together,” she wrote. “In short, we are prepared to run a marathon to achieve the savings needed through the jail budget. This is the only way we see to achieve savings without crippling our justice system. We cannot run the marathon without our legs---our employees!”

Fulton Commissioners are expected to consider the justice system proposal at a 10 a.m. Wednesday meeting.

Following is the full text of Chief Judge Down’s letter to Commissioners and the justice system’s jail reduction strategy:

As the Administrative Judge of this State's Fifth Judicial District as well as the Chief Judge of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, I am proposing on behalf of the Fulton County Justice System that we be allowed to present a plan for achieving the budget cuts required of our justice system. Our plan is attached. Our strategy is to dramatically reduce the jail population from 2606 (outsourcing and main jail population) to 1200 by July 1st of 2010.

We are aware that Fulton County is facing a serious budget shortfall. At present, it is my understanding that all County budgets are facing a cut of approximately 1.7% consisting of the unpaid holidays for all employees in 2010. At present, the justice system partners have been asked to cut an additional 10% from their budgets.

The Clerk of the Superior Court will have to eliminate 33 temporary positions and 18 permanent positions ($1.5 million). The District Attorney will have to eliminate 20 temporary positions and 30 permanent positions OR take 48 furlough days (one day each week) which amounts to a 25% pay cut for all DA employees. ($2.2 million) The Public Defender will have to eliminate 15 positions ($1.57 million).The Superior Court will have to eliminate at least 15 employees and as of yet an undetermined number of additional layoffs. We will lose employees in programs that save the county money such as Pretrial, Drug Court, Mental Health Court ($2.475 million).

As you are aware each of the justice agencies are closely connected in that an impact on any one of our budgets impacts our ability as a whole to move the business. We are truly all part of the same pipeline with no control over the numbers of cases coming in. If the 10 percent cuts are taken from each budget in January of 2010, our ability to process the criminal, domestic and civil cases will be significantly affected. This will no doubt result in a sharp increase in the jail population and a sharp increase in costs to the taxpayer. This will certainly not achieve the savings that are needed in the coming year's budget.

We have been meeting non-stop since we learned of the budget shortfall in order to present a plan that will save the county significant money without dismantling our justice system. We are proposing expediting the processing of the criminal cases in the next 6 months so that the jail population is reduced to 1200 inmates by July 1st of 2010. We believe that this goal is attainable but only if we are able to retain our employees and re-engineer the way we work together. If we are forced to eliminate critical employees, the cost to the County will increase with the resulting increase in the jail population.

In short, we are prepared to run a marathon to achieve the savings needed through the jail budget. This is the only way we see to achieve savings without crippling our justice system. We cannot run the marathon without our legs---our employees! Please carefully consider our proposal. We are continuing to meet to improve the proposal. All of us are available if you should have any questions.

Jail Reduction Strategy Guiding Principles

 The Fulton County Jail, when built, was widely criticized as being too small for the Fulton County criminal population.

 Overcrowding at the jail has led to several lawsuits including the current consent decree.

 The inability of the system to dispose of cases has exacerbated the jail overcrowding problem.

 The Justice Management Institute, a leading criminal justice system consultant, identified as one of the key elements to lasting system improvement, the need to set goals regarding the Fulton County jail population and composition.

 On November 18, 2009, the Fulton County Budget Commission announced that for FY2010 it was expected that current expenditures would drastically exceed expected revenue (-$146 million) requiring an across-the-board 25% reduction in county budgets.

 Collectively, the Criminal Justice System was asked to reduce budgetary expenditures by $55 million — translating to 980 positions.

 Absorbing cuts of this magnitude would devastate each department individually and have systemic repercussions.

 Through exploring other cost-saving mechanisms, the Budget Commission announced on December 9, 2009, the criminal justice system portion of budget reductions would amount to 11.7% or $25.4 million.

 This current financial crisis has inspired a willingness among all Fulton County criminal justice agencies to identify systemic ways to save money without adversely impacting individual departments and the criminal justice system.

 What follows are the Fulton County Criminal Justice System cost-saving recommendations and strategies.

Jail Reduction Strategy

 Remove inmates convicted of state crimes from the Fulton County Jail after a maximum period of ten (10) days.

 Eliminate the outsourcing of inmates by February 1, 2010 (savings of $8 million).

 Establish jail case processing standards such that each category of inmate has a time frame for housing which cannot be exceeded (see Case Processing Standards).

 Implement a Temporary Emergency Court to reduce the jail population by 1,300 inmates by July 1, 2010 (savings of $15 million through food/health contracts and the elimination of vacant positions).

 Support the acquisition of the City of Atlanta Jail so that the facility can be used as the initial screening location for defendants and a portion of the facility can be used to create a restitution center where all low-risk Fulton County Jail inmates could be transferred.

 Establish a multi-departmental jail reduction team to work with the Sheriff’s staff to monitor the jail population on a daily basis in order to maintain the jail population at 1,200 inmates.

 Failure to reduce the jail population as outlined will result in a 10% across-the-board budget reduction for all Fulton County criminal justice agencies beginning July 1, 2010.

Jail Case Processing Standards

 Death penalty – 2 years

 Maximum Complex Felony Cases – 365 days

 Medium Complex Felony Cases – 280 days

 Mildly Complex Felony Cases – 120 days

 Non Complex Felony Cases – 60 days

 Misdemeanor Maximum Complex Violent Cases – 60 days

 Misdemeanor Medium Complex Cases – 30 days

 All other Misdemeanor cases – 48 hours

Fulton County Criminal Justice Agencies

Doris (Dee) Downs
Chief Judge, Superior Court

Ted Jackson
Sheriff, Fulton County

Cathelene “Tina” Robinson
Clerk, Superior Court

Paul L. Howard, Jr.
District Attorney

Vernon Pitts
Public Defender

Albert Thompson
Chief Judge, State Court

###

Think This Can't Happen?

The Fulton County Justice System is under enormous stress to process tens of thousands of criminal and civil cases with its current employees and judges.
Criminal prosecutions and civil litigation will be delayed even further if hundreds of Justice System employees and staff are laid off as a result of further budget cuts.
The county’s latest budget proposal calls for 10 percent across the board cuts in addition to prior reductions in state and county support for the Justice System. But that approach just doesn’t add up.

Here are some examples that show reducing or eliminating court programs that safely remove defendants from the overcrowded Fulton Jail will only add to the budget:

Jailing pretrial defendants: Daily Cost - $72 x 1,300 = $93,600.
Supervised pretrial release: Daily Cost - $5 x 1,300 = $  6,500.
Daily saving:                                                          $87,100.

Jailing pretrial defendants: Daily Cost - $72 x 500 =  $36,000.
Drug/Mental Health Court: Daily Cost -  $23 x    500 = $11,500.
Daily saving:                                                           $24,500.

What You Can Do:

Fulton County Juvenile Court Associate Judge Bradley Boyd to be Sworn in as Presiding Judge

Fulton County Juvenile Court Associate Judge Bradley Boyd will be sworn-in as the Presiding Judge at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2009, in Assembly Hall at the Fulton County Government Center located at 141 Pryor Street in Atlanta.

Superior Court Chief Judge Doris L. Downs will administer the oath of office to Boyd.

Boyd has served as an Associate Judge for Fulton County Juvenile Court since 2006. He is a native of Holmes County in Ohio. Boyd graduated from Goshen College in Goshen, IN., attended Indiana State University’s graduate school and graduated from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law.

Boyd’s experience with juvenile court issues is extensive. His work history includes service as Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Project. Boyd also performed in numerous past roles for the Fulton County Juvenile Court, including probation officer, intake attorney, referee, child advocate, Chief Probation Officer and Director of Management Planning.

In 1993, he joined the office of the Fulton County District Attorney as Senior Assistant District Attorney in Juvenile Court. Before becoming an Associate Judge, Boyd served as Deputy Director for the Juvenile Court Division of the office of the Fulton County Conflict Defender.

Boyd replaces Presiding Judge Sanford Jones who died in a May 15, 2009, plane crash.

###

Fulton Superior Court Elects Chief Judge

Judge Cynthia D. Wright has been elected Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Fulton County. She will assume office in May 2010 following a transition period during which she will work closely with current Chief Judge Doris L. Downs.

Judge Wright has been a Superior Court Judge since 1996. She is currently one of three Family Court judges who hear all domestic litigation filed in Fulton Superior Court, Georgia’s largest trial court.

Judge Wright said her priorities as Chief Judge will include working with the Fulton Board of Commissioners and the State Legislature “as we address the pressing fiscal needs of the County and the State and to develop a better working relationship with all of our Fulton Justice System Partners.”

“If we join hands with each other we can’t point fingers,” Judge Wright said.

The Fulton Superior Court’s Chief Judge chairs meetings of the Court’s judges and is in charge of all administrative functions. The Chief Judge also represents the Court on the 24-member Judicial Council of Georgia, the state-level judicial agency charged with developing policies for administering and improving the courts.

Lawdragon, a guide to the nation’s best lawyers and judges, selected Judge Wright as one of the 500 Leading Judges in America. The Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia presented the 2006 Jack P. Turner Award to Judge Wright for her outstanding contributions and achievement in family law in Georgia. In 2000, Judge Wright also received the Joseph T. Tuggle, Jr. Professionalism Award from the Family Law Section of the State Bar Association of Georgia.
She is Budget Chair and Ethics Chair of the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, a board member of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and a former Board Member of the Georgia Women of Achievement.

Judge Wright was appointed to her position on the Fulton Superior Court by then Governor Zell Miller on November 1, 1996. She has since been elected to three terms without opposition. Prior to assuming her current judgeship, she served as a Judge of the State Court of Fulton County.
She also served as chief legal counsel to Governor Zell Miller for his first term (1991-1995). During that period of time, she authored the legislation and constitutional amendment which established the Lottery for Education. Prior to working with Governor Miller, earlier in her career, she was assistant legal counsel to Governor George Busbee (1978-1980).

Judge Wright’s private practice of law included work as an associate with the law firm of Troutman Sanders and as a partner in the law firm of Corlew, Smith and Wright. Judge Wright also served as corporate counsel to the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority. Upon first graduating from law school, Judge Wright served as a research associate with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government. As a law student, Judge Wright pursued her interest in politics, public policy and law by interning with U.S. Senator Sam Nunn.

Judge Wright graduated magna cum laude from Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia in 1974 and received her juris doctorate in law from the University of Georgia in 1977.

The Fulton Superior Court serves the county’s almost 1 million residents. It comprises both the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and the 5th Judicial District, Georgia’s only single-county Judicial Circuit and District.

Fulton Superior Court's 19 Judges hear administrative appeals and preside over civil, major criminal and domestic relations cases. And, because Fulton County includes the state’s capitol of Atlanta, by law the Court hears all lawsuits filed against state government.

To meet the challenges of these special circumstances the Fulton Superior Court has created a variety of innovative programs and services to provide meaningful access to justice for all. Other programs innovated by the Fulton Superior Court are one-jury or one-day juror service and specialized courts including Family Court, Business Court and Drug Court.

(end)

Resolution to Declare an Economic State of Emergency

The following statement is issued by the Fulton County Justice System elected officials:

Less than one month ago, the criminal justice departments met with the Budget Commission and were informed that the 2010 budgets would be fully funded. Last week, we unexpectedly received word from the County Manager and his staff that this is no longer true. Because of a severe reduction in both the commercial and residential tax digests, Fulton County will be forced to reduce expenditures by at least $146 million. The County Manager also informed us that every county department must participate in the reductions--the criminal justice system’s share being $55 million with individual criminal justice departments asked to reduce budgets by around 25%.Today, the County Manager informed us that a new proposal would place the criminal justice departments’ share closer to $25 million.

At this time, the Board of Commissioners has made no final decision regarding the size of budget cuts that will need to be made. However, it is certain that the large decrease in revenue will result in a drastic reduction to Fulton County department budgets and the criminal justice departments will not be exempt. After careful considerations of the impact to the criminal justice system were a drastic budget reduction enacted, we the members of the criminal justice system have determined that the results would be disastrous. Not only would it result in the immediate loss of between 445 and 980 jobs, it would also, in our opinion, raise serious questions regarding public safety. Over the past decade, working together as a system, we have achieved numerous accomplishments such as:

• The jail population has been reduced from 4,300 to 2,500;
• We are now able to charge defendants within 30 minutes of arrest;
• The number of criminal cases pending in Superior Court has been reduced by 61%;
• As a result, although the Fulton County’s population has increased, and continues to increase, the violent crime rate has declined by 43%;

Despite these significant system improvements, there is more to be done. Not only does the proposed budget reduction threaten every system improvement made to date, if implemented as outlined, it could slow criminal court case processing to a near halt and eliminate all existing treatment court alternatives. This is not an acceptable outcome for our community. Therefore, we, the below signed criminal justice agencies, have decided to declare an Economic State of Emergency within the Fulton County criminal justice system. As a part of this Economic State of Emergency, our plan is to work together to implement system wide strategies that take into account our precarious financial situation while focusing all our attention and resources upon the primary tasks of maintaining public safety, i.e., the protection of citizens and the Fulton County community. Furthermore, our goal is to do so while maintaining employees and the integrity of the criminal justice system.

Signed by:
Doris L. Downs, Chief Judge, Superior Court
Albert Thompson, Chief Judge, State Court
Paul L. Howard, Jr., District Attorney
Vernon Pitts, Public Defender
Cathelene Tina Robinson, Clerk, Superior Court
Ted Jackson, Sheriff

Fulton Judicial System Budget Response

The Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Fulton County and the Fulton County District Attorney will present the response of the Fulton County Justice System elected officials to the proposed Fulton County 2010 budget at a news briefing on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The briefing will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 7F of the Fulton Justice Center Tower, 185 Central Ave., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.

News media wishing to record sound or pictures at the briefing must submit a Rule 22 request via fax to: 404-335-2828 prior to noon Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Please email pio@fultoncourt.org if you plan to cover this event so your personnel can receive any assistance they may need to enter and set up prior to the briefing.

(end)

Chief Judge leads Dubai Judicial Training

The following article appeared in the Nov. 10, 2009 edition of TradeArabia News Service

DJI hosts judicial training program

The Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI), a leading centre of law studies and judicial training in Dubai, is organising a three-day judicial training program in co-ordination with University of Georgia for aspiring judges, lawyers and district attorneys.

The International Judiciary Training Program (IJTP) is being held at the Institute’s Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hasher Hall and will run up to November 12.

To be held under the theme ‘Caseflow Management – USA Experience,’ the training sessions mark the first time that IJTP is partnering with a foreign organisation (DJI) and providing training outside the US.

The program will share the US experience in caseflow management and judicial leadership to assist in the development of the Emirates’ judiciary.

Prominent speakers will include judge Doris Downs, chief judge, Fulton County Superior Court, Atlanta Judicial Circuit; judge David Emerson, current member of the Georgia Supreme Court Technology Advisory Committee and member of the Judicial Counsel of Georgia; and Mark Beer, registrar of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts.

"This landmark event will usher in a new age in the UAE’s judicial system, bringing to the fore the best technologies and techniques for optimising and expediting the dispensation of justice."
"Our partnership with the University of Georgia brings us a step closer to establishing the DJI as a premier regional and international education and training institution for aspiring judges and public prosecutors. We have seen rapid growth in our judicature over the years, so IJTP provides us with the perfect opportunity to properly direct our efforts in our field," said Dr Jamal Alsumaiti, director general of Dubai Judicial Institute (pictured above).

"Organising this training program is in line with our vision and strategy to implement the best judicial practices and reinforce the position of Dubai Judicial Institute as a regional center for excellence in judicial and legal studies."

"DJI is the first institute in Middle East to offer such a specialised training program in judicial studies, and the participation of director generals of UAE courts and the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs in Bahrain reflects the significance of this training program to further enhance the quality of judiciary in the region," Dr Alsumaiti added.

Speakers at the training program will explain the management of routine and complex civil or criminal cases; particular considerations when handling the routine criminal case and implementing knowledge economy principles through judicial practices.

They will also discuss the use of case count data in trial case management and judicial administration; building and managing the finances for local court operations; and the role of the chief administrative judge.

Other topics to be discussed include the integration of technology into the judicial practice; the judge’s ethical duties; judicial values; and caseflow management and policies.- TradeArabia News Service

Copyright © 2007 TradeArabia.com All rights reserved

Superior Court names new Juvenile Court Judge

ATANTA - Fulton County Associate Juvenile Court Judge Bradley J. Boyd has been selected to be Presiding Judge of the Fulton Juvenile Court.

Judge Boyd, who has served as an Associate Judge for the Fulton Juvenile Court since 2006, fills the seat left open by the death of longtime Judge Sanford J. Jones.

He joins Chief Juvenile Court Judge Belinda E. Edwards and five Associate Judges at the state's largest Juvenile Court.

Judge Boyd, who began work at the Fulton Juvenile Court in 1973 as a probation officer, was chosen Wednesday by vote of the 19 Judges of the Superior Court of Fulton County. He was among five finalists for the position recommended by an independent selection committee.

Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Doris L. Downs praised Judge Boyd for having dedicated his life to the welfare of children.

"Brad Boyd is a truly dedicated public servant who has toiled in the trenches day after day and remains a spark of innovation that helps create systems that support the restoration of young lives," said Judge Downs. "We are truly fortunate to have Brad and all the other finalists for this position, each of whom would have been worthy choices."

Other finalists chosen from among 34 candidates for the Judgeship were attorneys: Jim Barfield, Angela Davis, Phillip Jackson and Juliette Scales.

Judge Boyd said the appointment is the opportunity of a lifetime and provides a challenge to continue the great work begun by Judge Jones and other predecessor judges of the Fulton Juvenile Court.

"In the years I have spent working in the Juvenile Court I have come to understand and appreciate the contributions and legacies of the Judges, other leaders in the courts, and the enormous contributions by hundreds of community members in building what is our Juvenile Court today," Judge Boyd said. "I am both honored and humbled that the Judges of the Superior Court have appointed me to help care for that legacy and carry it forward."

The Fulton County Juvenile Court is one of the oldest in the country. In 2008 there were 9,620 cases filed in the court, including 5,010 delinquency cases and 2,329 deprivation cases. The court conducted 23,848 hearings which were heard by six full time judges and several part time judges. The court employs a staff of 157.

Court is New Location for Continuing Education Classes

Beginning November 6, 2009 the Fulton County Law Library will host satellite broadcasts of continuing education classes produced by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia.

Topics of the classes, which continue through March 2010, include such topics as adoption law, trial advocacy, drivers license law, license revocation and suspension, basic fiduciary practice, premises liability and advanced debt collection. Please refer to the ICLE website; www.iclega.org for confirmed program information including agenda, CLE Hours, registration and fees.

The Law Library is on the 7th floor, Fulton Justice Center Tower, 185 Central Ave., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, one block west of the State Capitol. Telephone: 404-730-4544.

Directions at http://www.fultoncourt.org/sca200807/185-central-avenue-sw.html

Fulton County Juvenile Court Judge Finalists Announced

Five finalists have been selected for the position of a full time circuit-wide Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court.


Those chosen from among 33 candidates are: Jim Barfield, Brad Boyd, Angela Davis, Phillip Jackson and Juliette Scales.


Applications were solicited by publication of notice in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 15-11-18(d). The statutory qualifications for appointment to this position are established by O.C.G.A. § 15-11-18(e). Applications were due to the Court by August 30, 2009.


The finalists are scheduled to be interviewed Oct. 26, 2009 by the Judges of the Superior Court of Fulton County. The 19 elected Fulton Superior Court Judges will make the final selection.


The Court appointed an independent Commission to interview and recommend finalists for the position vacated earlier this year by the tragic death of Judge Sanford J. Jones in an aviation crash.


The new Juvenile Court Judge is expected to be named prior to the end of 2009.

King v. King case public comment order

An order regarding public comments by attorneys and parties has been issued in the case of King v. King, 2008CV408153.

The order by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville is posted on the Court’s website at http://www.fultoncourt.org/sca200807/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=42&Itemid=118

King v. King case resolution

Parties in the case of King v. King 2008 CV 153409 agreed Oct. 12, 2009 to a settlement of the litigation.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville approved the final order submitted by the parties and issued a summary judgment order in the case.

These orders can be viewed at http://www.fultoncourt.org/sca200807/documents-and-forms/cat_view/42-superior-court-cases.html

Extension granted in King v. King negotiations

Parties in King v. King, case number 2008CV153409, have been granted until Wednesday, Oct. 7 to reach an agreement by Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville.

Judge Glanville cancelled a previously set pretrial motions hearings in the case on Friday, Oct. 2.
Absent an agreement by the deadline set by the judge parties are instructed to appear at 9 a.m. on Oct. 12, 2009 in Courtroom 5F of the Fulton Justice Tower, 185 Central Ave., Atlanta, GA 30303 for the beginning of jury selection in trial of the case.

Superior Court Uniform Rule 22 request for recording in courtroom must be faxed to Judge Glanville’s chambers by 3 p.m. on Oct. 9. Fax number: 404-302-8595. Please request a return fax of an approved Rule 22 for presentation to security deputies at the 185 Central Ave. entrance to facilitate entry.

11 Alive news and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution have been designated by Judge Glanville as pool for the trial of this case.

King v. King case update

Parties in King v. King, case number 208CV153409, met today and fulfilled the requirements of an order issued by Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville that a shareholders meeting be held. Parties to the case are continuing to negotiate differences in an effort to resolve the litigation, Judge Glanville said.

Motions hearings in the case are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 in Courtroom 5F of the Fulton Justice Tower, 185 Central Ave., Atlanta, GA 30303. Jury selection in trial of the case is set to begin at 9 a.m. on Oct. 12, 2009 in Courtroom 5F.

Superior Court Uniform Rule 22 request for recording in courtroom must be faxed to Judge Glanville’s chambers 24 hours prior to the next hearing. Fax number: 404-302-8595. Please request a return fax of an approved Rule 22 for presentation to security deputies at the 185 Central Ave. entrance to facilitate entry.

Judges vote to work without pay to keep court open

ATLANTA -- Fulton County Superior Court judges have voted to work three days without pay in response to the state’s fiscal crisis.

Chief Judge Doris Downs said the court’s judges will voluntarily reduce their salary by one day each month for the rest of this year.

“This is not a furlough, it is a voluntary reduction in pay” explained Chief Judge Downs. The Courts will remain open for business as usual.

“It is important to this bench that the public see no cuts in service,” she said. “The only cut will be in the judges’ salaries.”

The Fulton Superior Court bench adopted this cost-saving measure because the Georgia Constitution forbids judges’ salaries from being cut, but it does not prevent them from returning a portion of their pay.

Downs said that the Fulton Superior Court judges hope their action will prevent further cuts which will impact the Court’s ability to hear and decide cases.

The days that the judges are forfeiting their pay are October 9; November 25 and December 23.

Those days were selected because they coincide with furlough days adopted by some other jurisdictions.

Fulton Superior Court is the state’s largest and busiest trial court with more than 30,000 cases filed annually.

Mental Health Court graduates seven

Five men and two women, caught for years in a revolving door of arrests for criminal behaviors fueled by mental illnesses, graduated Aug. 28 from the Fulton County Mental Health Court.
The seven graduates had been arrested a total of 123 times resulting in jail terms and even prison time. However, since entering Mental Health Court up to 28 months ago none has been arrested.

Commencement speaker DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Cynthia Becker congratulated the graduates on their success and lauded the Fulton Superior Court accountability program supervised by Fulton Superior Chief Judge Doris L. Downs.

The Mental Health Court, in operation since 2006, provides mentally ill offenders with support services in the community -- housing, medicine, treatment, jobs and community case managers -- to keep them on track. Mental Health Court staff and partner organizations work to get SSI or disability payments started so Court clients can become self sufficient financially, including paying for their housing.

Nationwide, the mentally ill comprise 16 percent of jail populations. In Fulton County the mentally ill are 26 percent of the jail population. That makes Fulton County’s Jail the largest mental health care provider in the Southeast. More than 600 Fulton Jail inmates on psychotropic medications.

State Department of Corrections data shows that Georgia is releasing more than 300 mentally ill inmates per year to live in Fulton County. These inmates are released with little or no support. Cobb County receives the state’s the next highest number; fewer than 150.

Severely mentally ill felony offenders are the most difficult population to supervise in a community setting. Their mental and developmental difficulties alone require a myriad of services and supports, often in excess of what they or their respective family and other support systems can provide.

Even in the rare situation where there may be adequate supports they fail to adhere to proscribed treatment regimes either because of their cognitive capacity or mental health deficits. Public safety is compromised when mentally ill felons are released without an appropriate discharge plan that can be supervised by the Court and managed by court representatives working within the community.

To address these issues the Superior Court of Fulton County began a pilot Mental Health Court project in the last quarter of 2006. Resources dedicated to this project included one full-time social worker and one grant-funded case manager who worked under the general Accountability Courts umbrella which includes the Drug Court. Working together with social workers from the Public Defender’s Office, they supervised 45 mentally ill offenders. Collectively, these individuals had been arrested more than 800 times with one-third of them having a criminal history which included spending time in prison.

In 2008, Fulton County’s Department of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD) agreed to be responsible for the therapeutic portions of the Mental Health Court program allowing a doubling of the number of defendants in the program.
Fulton Superior Court remains responsible for defendant compliance monitoring, quality control and oversight for the Mental Health Court program.

Fulton County’s Superior Court serves the county’s almost 1 million residents. It comprises both the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and the 5th Judicial District, Georgia’s only single-county Judicial Circuit and District.

Fulton Superior Court Judges hear administrative appeals and preside over civil, major criminal and domestic relations cases. And, because Fulton County includes the state’s capitol of Atlanta, by law the Court hears all lawsuits filed against state government.

To meet the challenges of these special circumstances the Fulton Superior Court has created a variety of innovative programs and services to provide meaningful access to justice for all. Other programs innovated by the Fulton Superior Court are one-jury or one-day juror service and specialized courts including Family Court, Business Court and Drug Court.

(End)

County Launches Towards the Future with E-Filing

Guarantees of Financial Savings, Increased Efficiency and Production

The process of filing new child support claims in Fulton County has been upgraded as the Fulton County Superior Court and the Fulton County Office of Child Support Services have begun using the Georgia Department of Human Resources and the Administrative Office of the Court’s electronic filing system.
Fulton Superior Court joins an ever growing list of courts that have converted to electronically filing their new child support cases and claims, adding the largest county in Georgia as well as the largest in child support case claims to the increasingly popular filing system.
The Georgia DHR funded development of the Electronic Filing of Court Documents program, also referred to as the Georgia Judicial Exchange (GAJE), in response to the increasing number of child support claims across Georgia in an effort to improve delivery of service and reduce cost. It is administered and maintained by the AOC. The program is specifically for child support cases, which make up over 50 percent of most civil cases statewide and could potentially be used for other case types in the future.
Vince Harris, Associate Director at the AOC and head of the Information Technologies Division that oversees GAJE, believes bringing Fulton County onto the state's e-filing system will show other counties and child support offices in Georgia the benefits of the system.
“It’s a huge success for the clerk’s office, for the child support office and for the AOC (the cooperation of e-filing). It will certainly help put it (GAJE) on the map,” says Harris.
Through e-filing, the Fulton County OCSS, which currently processes in excess of 30,000 child support claims a year, will now be able to offer more efficient filing of important documents as well as increase production of its case loads a streamlined system that allows every step of submitting a new case to be done electronically instead of manually.
Bobbie Hilbun, Regional Manager over the Fulton County OCSS, was a leading advocate for bringing e-filing to Fulton because of the potential savings in personnel hours.
“The time saving is the number#1 reason I wanted to bring e-filing to Fulton, which is the largest legal filing office in the region…the legal secretaries now are able to pull petitions more quickly and move them to the attorney who in turn moves them to the (court) clerk, all from the computer where with manual (filing) it was a longer series of steps,” says Hilbun.
Chief Assistant District Attorney over the Child Support Unit, Regina Mincey, has experienced noticeable benefits from the new e-filing system.
“Due to the volume (of new child support cases and claims), e-filing helps with the efficiency of processing claims as well as it frees up other functions of OCSS to collect payments,” says Mincey.
With the OCSS’s more timely electronic delivery of cases to Fulton County Superior Court instead of manual deliveries, increased and faster service on issued claims is achieved as well as resolutions for the cases and their participants.
E-filing saves money for all parties involved through eliminating the need for multiple physical storage locations of papers and documents vital to any given case and the cost of maintaining such places, in addition to personnel hours used in transport of documents. It also cuts back on human error and saves time on corrections of documents that could otherwise hold up the process of having the case filed.
“The court and the OCSS will now be more efficient, timely and better able to provide more concern and time to those that use the OCSS’s services. Taxpayers can also feel better in knowing that this new system saves money and that different state agencies are working together to bring an improved quality of customer care,” says Harris.
The GAJE e-filing program started in 2007 with pilot launches in Bibb and Washington counties and has since been picked up by Chatham, Douglas, Jefferson and Oglethorpe due to its proven track record of increasing the efficiency and timeliness of child support case claims.
###
If you would like more information about E-Filing, contact Vince Harris. In order to schedule an interview with Mr. Harris, please contact Mrs. Ann Batchan at 404-656-5169 or batchana@gaaoc.us

Fulton’s Business Court nationally recognized

ATLANTA – The Fulton County Business Court has been named Best in Category of innovative court programs for 2009 by the National Association of Counties.

The Fulton Business Court, created by the Superior Court of Fulton County, hears cases involving damages in excess of $1 million, with multiple litigants, large amounts of documentary evidence, complex commercial or business claims and extensive discovery.

Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves said the award indicates the caliber of legal services available to local businesses.

“This recognition speaks well for the entire team at the Fulton County Superior Court, and their dedicated service to Fulton County businesses and residents,” Eaves said. “Innovation in justice is a high priority for Fulton County Government, and we are pleased to see that we are among the nation’s best.”

Since 2006 the Fulton Business Court has provided cost-effective resolution for complex commercial and business cases. In addition to retaining legal business in Atlanta the Business Court has begun to grow a robust body of business law in Georgia.

Community partnerships were critical to forming and sustaining the specialty court, said Superior Court Chief Judge Doris L. Downs.

“With the support of the Atlanta business community and funding from the Fulton County Commission we have been able to build a Business Court that is making Atlanta a Mecca for commercial litigation,” said Judge Downs. “The State Bar also is to be commended for having the vision to promote the creation of this Court by the Supreme Court of Georgia.”

The National Association of Counties Achievement Award Program recognizes programs that improve the management of services by county government. This year’s winners represent 30 states and 123 counties.

Since the program’s inception in 1970, the Achievement Award Program has honored hundreds of county government initiatives that have improved service delivery, achieved greater cost efficiency, provided finer customer service, and helped to develop a better-trained work force.
Fulton’s Business Court is one of 17 innovative programs cited in Georgia and one of only two cited as Best in Category in the national NACo Achievement Awards.

For more information on the NACo Achievement Awards, visit www.naco.org.

Court Program to Save Fulton $5.5 Million

A tough new pretrial release supervision program that begins April 1 is expected to save Fulton County taxpayers more than $5.5 million a year in jail costs.

The new Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) which was recently funded by the Fulton County Commission will provide rigorous supervision of defendants who don’t qualify for release under existing criteria.

The Superior Court of Fulton County’s Pretrial Services will operate the new program. Over the past decade the Court’s Pretrial Services program has racked up an impressive record of reducing jail costs while ensuring that more than 95 percent of program defendants show up for all scheduled court hearings.

The new ISP will supervise about 150 additional defendants per month.

Candidates for the program are:

 Youthful defendants charged with non-violent crimes that the Judiciary deem appropriate for release if heightened supervision is available.
 Defendants whose community ties cannot be “verified” or those who have not established a six month residency in the Atlanta metropolitan area
 Defendants, with little or no criminal history, charged with property crimes who do not meet normal pretrial release criteria.
 Defendants referred to the ISP by a judge

ISP release requirements may include:

 In-person office contact twice a week
 Weekly field visits to defendant’s home/employer
 Curfew
 Electronic Monitoring
 Seek full-time employment if not already employed.
 Attend in-house life skills programs or community service programs.
 Be employed or actively seeking employment or school
 Defendants without high school diploma must enter GED program
 Social service agency referrals where appropriate
 Immediate sanctions in response to program infractions

The ISP will immediately notify the Court, District Attorney, and Defense Counsel of any violations of release conditions.