CC PACKET 03082011 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

State of the Judiciary: Much Patience Needed in 2011 - Features/Substantive Law - The H... Page 4 of 5 17 After just three months since the start of the program, the quota of 30 defendants has been filled with veterans of the Vietnam, First Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars, and periods between. These veterans are receiving VA services for post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and chemical dependency. They are intensively supervised by probation officers and regularly attend court reviews. Evidence to date suggests improved compliance with services and a reduction in new arrests. We intend to apply for federal funding so as to enable the project to meet the needs of more veterans. Street prostitution is a serious community problem in certain areas of north and south Minneapolis. The women engaging in this behavior often have significant mental health and chemical dependency problems and do not always respond to traditional correctional treatment. Our G.I.F.T. (Gaining Independence for Females in Transition) calendar is designed to provide these women with the services necessary to meet their mental and chemical needs, along with intensive supervision and emotional support to change their lifestyle. Over 50 women are involved in the program and attend monthly judicial reviews. The program is intended to reduce recidivism and remove these women from a dangerous and degrading lifestyle. The quality of life in downtown Minneapolis has been eroded by the activities of chronic offenders who commit petty street crimes. These individuals are often chemically dependent and homeless. Our St. Stephen's Calendar uses a "housing first" model that was developed in New York City. Chronic jail, detox center, and homeless shelter users are identified and then provided with housing by outreach workers from St. Stephen's Human Services. Participants also receive necessary services and training to help remain law abiding. They appear for monthly judicial reviews and receive a more favorable criminal disposition in exchange for reduced arrests and maintaining good relationships with their landlords. Our civil division is expanding its Hennepin County Pro Bono Mediation Program. Because the cost of retaining a private mediator can be a hardship for many litigants, the pro bono mediation program has been providing free mediation services for persons who obtain In Forma Pauperis status (household income up to 125 percent of the poverty level). Pro bono attorneys from six law firms volunteer their time to mediate the cases. The participating law firms are Dorsey B: Whitney; Faegre ft Benson; Fredrikson l3 Byron; Leonard, Street and Deinard; Lindquist It Vennum; and Briggs and Morgan. I am delighted to report that the program has now been expanded to include litigants with household incomes up to 300 percent of the poverty level. The expanded program will provide an increased number of litigants with the opportunity to resolve their disputes prior to trial, along with the attendant savings in judicial time and resources. At a late October bench meeting, the judges of your court voted to increase the minimum rotation in our Juvenile and Family courts to three years. Self -Help Centers Your court continues to operate Self -Help Centers at the Family Justice Center and Government Center. The Self -Help Centers (SHCs) provide education, forms, and referrals to people starting or responding to court cases without lawyers. The SHCs play a critical role in advancing the court's vision of a fair and accessible justice system, while also contributing to greater efficiency in tight budget times. Like the court as a whole, the SHCs are focusing on technology. During the past year, the SHCs began directing all pro se marriage dissolution and harassment case petitioners to "document assembly tools" on the court's website for preparation of pleadings and proposed orders. Computers and assistance are available at the SHCs if needed, plus staff members review the completed forms. Systematic use of these tools allows the SHC to evaluate its effectiveness in helping people with widely varying ages, education levels, computer skills, and language capabilities, while also facilitating our planning for further use of technology to serve pro se Litigants, such as e -filing. The vast majority of our self-help customers are successful at using these tools, and their pleadings are more complete than pleadings prepared using paper forms. Better prepared pleadings yield time savings for both the public and your court, and, of course, more legible documents. Legal services clinics and attorneys providing unbundled legal services also make use of the tools, which are available at www.mncourts.gov/forms under the topics "Divorce" and "Harassment." The Minnesota Legal Services Coalition and the court collaborated in littp://hennepin.timberlakeptrblishing.com/article.asp?article=1495&paper—1&cat= 147 2/16/2011