Celebrate Law Day 2010 at Piedmont Park

Bring the family and join the fun at Piedmont Park on Saturday, April 10 as the annual Law Day public celebration kicks off with a 5K race, followed by music, art, food and an all-American good time at the park.

The day begins with the 10th annual Legal Runaround, a 5K race, walk and tot trot benefiting the Atlanta Bar Foundation. Pets and strollers welcome. Registration begins at 7:30a.m. Preregistration is $15 if received by April 8. $20 if received after April 8. For registration information, call 404-832-6210 or email saponte@atlantabar.org.

After the race relax at the park’s Main Pavilion. Enjoy music, a kid’s art contest, snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy and other treats. Tour law-related booths and get a close-up look at equipment exhibits by the Atlanta Police Department and other public safety agencies.

In addition to cool give-a-ways, Fulton Emergency Management will have a 9-1-1 simulator of their actual computer-aided dispatch equipment, a display board with important tips about dialing 9-1-1 and a safety video.

And don’t miss the highlight of Law Day: recognition of outstanding public safety officers and court employees, including the Liberty Bell Award, Fulton County Court Employee of the Year, Peace Officer of the Year and prizes for the winners of the kid’s art contest.

Law Day has been observed since 1950 as an opportunity for all Americans to reflect on the rule of law and the foundations of our legal system. It’s a time to celebrate the rich history of our judicial system and a time to consider its future in this rapidly changing world.

Law Day 2010 is sponsored by: The Fulton County Courts, The Atlanta Bar Foundation, The Atlanta Police Department, The Multi-Bar Leadership Council, King & Spalding, Weinstock and Scavo, P.C., ALSTON + BIRD, LLP, FELLOWS LaBRIOLA, Hawkins & Parnell, LLP.



Law Day 2010

Who: Everyone is welcome

What: A Public Celebration of Law Day 2010

Where: Work Progress Administration (WPA) Picnic Shelter, Piedmont Park

When: 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Why: Because each of us benefits from a nation ruled by law



Directions to the WPA Picnic Shelter: http://www.piedmontpark.org/do/picnic.html

Click on the map to locate the shelter within the park.

Mental Health Professional Named to Head Fulton Drug Court

For Immediate Release
ATLANTA – The Superior Court of Fulton County has selected an experienced mental health clinician and manager as Drug Court Director.

Kevin D. Larry, who has more than 20 years experience in the mental health field, was selected following an extensive search.

The Superior Court’s Drug and Mental Health accountability courts together supervise more than 400 felony offenders with addiction and mental health problems. These accountability courts are credited by police with drastically reducing their charges’ incidence of repeat offenses and increasing the quality of life and safety of Fulton communities.

Mr. Larry comes to the Drug Court from the Fulton County Mental Health Department where he was the manager of The Fulton County Center for Health and Rehabilitation programs since 2007. He will begin his new assignment on March 3, 2010.

Previously, Mr. Larry worked as a psychiatric social worker at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Medical Center; as a behavioral manager at HealthPlus of Michigan; a therapist at the Mott Children’s Health Center in Flint Michigan; and a transplant social worker at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan.

Mr. Larry obtained a bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree in Social Work at Wayne State University in Detroit. He also has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

The Superior Court of Fulton County is one of the top-performing urban courts in America. Our innovative programs, nationally recognized best practices and excellent judges and staff reflect our commitment to ensuring that all find justice in our court.
 
For additional information about our court, please visit our Web site at http://www.fultoncourt.org/.

No program reductions despite $1 million cut

The judges of the Superior Court of Fulton County have approved a final budget for 2010 that is $984,090 less than 2009 expenditures. The $24.3 million 2010 Superior Court budget does not include reductions in Court progerams, nor staff layoffs, said Court Administrator Judy Cramer.
"We will be tightening our belts throughout the courthouse," Ms. Cramer said. "But due to the excellent work of our business office we will not lose any employees."
Among the cost-saving measures employed to reduce this year's budget are not filling open positions and postponing the hiring of the support staff for the Court's 20th judge named in November by Gov. Perdue. Other savings in operating costs include savings on postage for juror summons, calling fewer prospective jurors, and tighter purchasing controls.
But the most important actions were those taken to avoid massive cuts that threatened to cripple the county's judicial system.
In November Fulton County officials notified the Superior Court that its 2010 budget would be reduced by $5.2 million from the 2009 budget of $24.5 million. Chief Judge Doris L. Downs said such a drastic cut would threaten public safety.
Her warning, echoed by Fulton District Attorney Paul Howard and other elected judicial officials, set off a public outcry aganst such cuts at subsequent Fulton Commission meetings that steadily mounted until Jan. 20 when Fulton Commissioners approved a Court budget that is approximately $1 million less than the prior year.
"While we were cut almost $1 million from last year after having five positions eliminated at mid-year 2009, we have adjusted and will continue to provide good public service," Cramer said in announcing the cuts to staff.
"Thanks to all of you for your patience and support during the period of budget uncertainty we experienced in 2009."

Thank You!

Thank you to the hundreds who signed the Court’s petition to save the Fulton Justice System and to those who stood before the Fulton County Commission to urge full funding of vital public safety and judicial services.
On Wednesday Jan. 20, 2010 Fulton Commissioners reinstated $1.3 million to Justice System agencies and court programs.
Among the funds restored to the 2010 budget on Wednesday is $150,000.00 for Drug Court, $800,000.00 to Pretrial Services for State and Superior Courts and $426,000.00 for the Circuit Public Defender’s office.
While there are cuts to the 2010 Justice System budget they are much less than what they would have if each of you had not added your voice to those who stood up for programs that make Fulton a safer county.

Doris L. Downs

Chief Judge

Superior Court of Fulton County

Fulton Superior Court Judge Westmoreland Moves to Business Court

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melvin K. Westmoreland has moved from the Fulton Justice Tower to the historic Lewis Slaton Fulton County Courthouse.

Westmoreland, a Superior Court Judge in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit since 1988, said he moved to Courtroom 9G in the 136 Pryor St. Courthouse for two reasons.

He recently became the only elected Superior Court Judge serving in the Fulton Business Court and now exclusively hears civil cases. Judge Westmoreland’s new chambers (Room C927) put him on the same floor with Business Court Senior Judges Alice Bonner and Elizabeth Long and Business Court manager Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez.

The move also makes room in the Fulton Justice Tower for newly appointed Superior Court Judge Shawn LaGrua. When LaGrua is sworn in as the circuit's 20th judge she may hear a mixed docket of criminal and civil cases. Criminal cases are restricted to the Tower which has secure holding cells and elevators used to transfer prisoners to and from the Fulton County Jail.

"With only civil cases I don't need holding cells and it helps to be close to the other business court operations," Judge Westmoreland said.

Judge Westmoreland's chambers telephone is 404-612-2570.

Judicial Leaders Work Until Last Minute to Save Public Safety Improvements from Fulton Budget Axe

Leaders of the Fulton County Georgia judicial system on Tuesday continued their effort to get county officials to restore $4.2 million cut from the system’s 2010 budget. The cuts include $2.4 million in operating costs and $1.8 million in staff vacancies for the Superior Court, Clerk of Superior Court, District Attorney, Public Defender, State, Probate and Juvenile courts, Solicitor General and Marshal’s office.

If these cuts are restored judicial system leaders told county officials they will be able to:

• Continue the Fast Track felony case management system that has cut the time it takes to complete non-violent property and drug cases to just 45 days.

• Continue the current number of participants in the county’s successful Drug and Mental Health Courts.

• Continue the highly effective, cost-saving pretrial supervision program that gets 97 percent of felony defendants to all court hearings without new charges.

• Continue a new intensive pretrial supervision program that reduced jail expenses by $3.5 million from April through December 2009.

• Prepare for a major anticipated increase in criminal cases from hundreds of new Atlanta Police Officers being hired through a federal COPS Grant.

• Drastically reduce the Fulton Jail population by July 1, 2010.

• Prepare a plan to increase revenues and collections from fines and fees.

• Prepare a plan to consolidate duplicative judicial system offices.

The Fulton justice system cannot control its incoming “inventory” of murder, rape, robbery and burglary cases so justice system leaders must be allowed to continue programs that out-produce the offending population to keep the county safe.

Judicial system leaders are working together to coordinate prevention, protection, restoration, correction and punishment efforts but cuts prevent them from keeping up with incoming cases, much less the increase anticipated from deploying additional Atlanta Police Officers.

Judicial leaders say restoring these funds will produce immediate savings by reducing the number of defendants in the county jail.

Failing to adequately fund the judicial system will swell the county’s jail population, greatly increasing the cost to taxpayers for housing, feeding and caring for pretrial defendants.

Key Points of the Judicial System Plan to enhance public safety and increase access to justice for families, children and businesses.

• Fast Track Felony Case Processing

• Pretrial Release Supervision

• Jail Population Reduction Plan

• Elimination of Duplicated Services

• Increased Fee and Fine Revenue

Citizens Voice Opposition to Fulton Judicial System Cuts

  Jan. 6, 2010 -- Hundreds of concerned Fulton County residents who braved freezing temperatures packed this week's Fulton Commission meeting to show support for full funding of the county's judicial system.
  Concerned residents told commissioners that cutting any part of the system which includes courts, prosecutors, public defenders, court clerks and the county sheriff  would cripple an already overburdened system.

  Concern over proposed budget cuts in the cash-strapped county has been growing since mid-November when county managers notified judicial leaders that they might loose 24 percent of their budgets.

  Fulton's Chief Judge and District Attorney said that such massive cuts would mean they would have to make drastic staff cuts leaving their offices unable to process the more than 30,000 cases filed in Fulton Superior Court each year.

  Chief Judge Doris L. Downs, speaking for members of the judicial system, said with that level of reduction "the results would be disastrous. [and] ... would also, in our opinion, raise serious questions regarding public safety."

  In December commissioners approved a tentative budget that would reduce cuts to the judicial system to some 10 percent. But even that level of reduced spending on justice would erode the courts ability to maintain cost-saving programs that now supervise some 1700 defendants in Drug and Mental Health courts and through pretrial release supervision, forcing more defendants back into the already overflowing county jail.

  Those who spoke Wednesday, including Chief Judge Downs, Chief Judge-elect Cynthia Wright and others who are involved in providing services to the judicial system, said that there are better ways to balance the budget that to slow processing of criminal cases that will only add to jail overcrowding and more than offset any savings.

  County officials and judicial leaders continue to meet and share ideas for reducing costs without endangering the public and reducing access to justice for families, children and Fulton businesses. One idea presented to county leaders is a full-court press to process criminal cases that judicial leaders say could cut the jail population in half by July. That would greatly reduce expenses for housing, feeding, and providing medical care for inmates in the jail which now must rent space in other county jails because it is overflowing.

  Fulton County’s judicial system is the state’s largest and busiest. It is also the place where all lawsuits brought against any state government function are decided, so any reduction in its capacity to function will have statewide consequences.

  A final vote on the 2010 Fulton County budget will be held Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. in the Fulton Commission Assembly Hall, 141 Pryor St., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.

  Anyone interested in voicing support for the judicial system budget who cannot attend the Jan. 20 meeting may sign an electronic petition at: http://bit.ly/KeepCourtsOpen.