Court Issues



Court Issues

Introduction

Majority of the cities of United Stated have a Most of the cities represented have community courts that functions as a department of municipal with an administrative judge or a court administrative give all the reports to the city manager or administrative. Although majority of the cities have the courts distinct from the police department and many of them have departments in the same building. Limited cities have joint department of police and municipal court. Whereas there was an agreement of the group in order to separation of enforcement, judicial, and law functions. The agreement was to stop conflict of due process concerns and interest.

Discussion

Employees and Staffing Issues

The group had the discussion about the staffing issues of part time and full time judges with the ministerial recorders.

Few cities realized the benefits of employing the full time judges. Considering the size of the city, there were majority of judges and court administrators who wear numerous hats. Whereas few of the judges also play a part in court administration by issuing warrants and handling cases related to non-criminals, and further court administrators execute other additional functions such as clerk of court duties and victims advocate. In smaller areas, the administrators of court have police related duties.

Another issue of the court where practices varied is about the appointed the administrator. The city administrator or manager makes all the appointment in some cities, where as in remaining cities the council has the responsibility to appoint the employee. All the cities represented follow to the requirement that judges be appointed every four years. One city makes its judicial appointment every two years and another city limits the number of terms a judge can serve.

Training Issues

One of the main issues stated was about the training of court administrators, judges and other court personnel. Numerous members stated this during overviews as the main issues which the courts are facing. Specifically, the two main apprehensions are the procedures to allow more consistent training, lack of training opportunities for court personnel and need for standardization in courts rules. Some ideas were optional on how to report these common issues.

A task force has been shaped to reflect these and other main ideas to maintain a plan of action. Listed below are some of the task force members:

Ponja Beck, Administrative Judge, City of Greer

Diane Anderson, Clerk of Court, City of Rock Hill

Liz Lewis, Clerk of Court, City of Goose Creek

Jane Modla, Municipal Judge, City of Rock Hill

Alma Miller, Court Administrator, City of Spartanburg

Sylvia Skeeter, Court Administrator, City of Charleston

Sally Phipps, Court Administrator, Town of Mt. Pleasant

Steve Willis, City Administrator, City of Lancaster

Lee Tindal, Magistrate/Municipal Judge, Sumter

The Issues of the Criminal Justice System

The whole system represents an adaption of the English widespread regulations to America's peculiar structure of government, which permits each localized community to assemble organizations that load up its exceptional needs. The goal of criminal justice for every town village, shire, town and state has its own criminal justice system, and there is a ...