Just another WordPress site

Category: News

  • U.S. Supreme Court Hears Juvenile Life Without Parole Homicide Cases

    Earlier this month, NCJFCJ posted about the 45th anniversary of the 1967 In re Gault decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that juveniles accused of crimes must be afforded many of the same due process rights as adults as required by the Fourteenth Amendment. This Supreme Court decision was followed in 2005 by the Roper v. Simmons case in which the court outlawed death sentences for juveniles and the 2010 Graham v. Florida case in which the court ruled that life sentences for juveniles convicted of non-homicide crimes was unconstitutional, but did not rule out life without parole sentences for homicide crimes committed by juveniles.

    On March 20, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, to consider whether imposing a sentence of life without possibility of parole on an offender who was fourteen at the time he committed capital murder constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Juvenile justice advocates argue that such punishments do not consider the immaturity of the juvenile’s age, which makes them less culpable than adults. Opponents argue that the Tenth Amendment gives states the right to operate their prison systems according to their own standards.

    The 90-minute hearing indicated that the court might allow life without parole to be imposed on some youth, but may draw the line for younger youth, but at what age is unknown. There was no indication during the hearing that a majority of justices would agree to a flat ban on life without chance of parole sentences for anyone under eighteen.

    NCJFCJ will follow these cases and post additional information once the U.S. Supreme Court releases an opinion in the next few months. More information on these pending U.S. Supreme Court cases can be found on the SCOTUS Blog at:

  • Green Meeting Planning

    At the last NASJE Annual Conference, an effort was made to reduce paper handouts by having material available online through the website of our conference partner the National Association of State Court Administrators. Several informal discussions were held about efforts to “go green” when organizing conferences or other educational events.

    A great resource for planning a green meeting is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website. The site offers links and resources for planners to incorporate green principles into every aspect of conference and meeting planning.

    The quick tips below are a sample of the types of information available:

    1. Use paperless technology. Use new media and electronic technology to cut down your paper use.  Create a conference web site; offer electronic registration and confirmation; and advertise using the web and/or email.
    2. Meet close. Reduce distances traveled by speakers and delegates.  Choose a host city that’s close to as many participants as possible, and within the city choose a venue and hotel that are close to the airport and within walking distance of each other.
    3. Bulk up. Have your food & beverage service provider use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, pepper, cream and other condiments.
    4. Lighten your Stay. Choose a hotel that offers a linen reuse program and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps in guest suites.
    5. Eat green. Include vegetarian meals, and have meals planned using local, seasonal produce.
    6. Close the recycling loop. Have all printed materials published on recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks, and on both sides of the page.
    7. Save energy. Coordinate with the meeting venue to ensure that lights and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are not in use.

    The site includes resources on destination and accommodation selection, event venues, transportation, communication, and marketing.

  • From the President – Winter 2012

    NASJE President, Joseph Sawyer
    NASJE President for 2011-2012, Joseph Sawyer

    On behalf of the NASJE executive board, I would like to wish each of you a wonderful 2012. During the New Year, NASJE will increase our educational offerings for our members including web conferences, regional events, and of course, our annual conference scheduled for Boston in August.

    Our first web conference of 2012 was held on January 10 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Lee Ann Barnhardt and I presented a one-hour webcast on fundamental adult educational resources that each judicial educator should know. To see a recording of the program, go here.

    One of the most significant educational developments for NASJE members is the continuing work of the curriculum committee. Funded by the State Justice Institute, the committee continues to develop model curricula on a variety of topics essential to all judicial educators. Under the leadership of past-president Christy Tull, the committee will be presenting various aspects of the curriculum at our annual conference as well as two live web conferences during the spring of this year.

    Speaking of the State Justice Institute, I am pleased to announce that SJI has approved our grant request to support our annual conference. Joan Bishop and all the members of the education committee deserve our thanks for their hard work in securing SJI’s support.

    If you have any suggestions for educational topics that you believe NASJE should address, please contact me at sawyer@judges.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

  • Comprehensive Approach to Sex Offender Management

    by John Newell (NJC)

    The Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM) at the Center for Effective Public Policy and the National Judicial College (NJC) are heading an Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART) funded Comprehensive Approach to Sex Offenders (CASOM) project aimed at improving the way sex offense cases are handled by judges and other criminal professionals. CSOM and NJC are joined in this project by several national groups, including the American Probation and Parole Association, the Center for Court Innovation, Fox Valley Technical College, the National Center for State Courts, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

    In order to improve the handling of sex offender cases and increase the chances that communities will form a strong, sustainable team to adapt and implement the CASOM model in their jurisdictions, CSOM and NJC have targeted three goals for this project:

    1. Provide CASOM focused educational opportunities to a national audience of judges and other criminal justice professionals. Educational programs under this project will be delivered through a variety of means to maximize accessibility to a wide range of participants.
    2. Provide technical assistance (TA) to jurisdictions throughout the United States in order to address demonstrated need to improve the functioning of their sex offender management systems.
    3. Create and provide nationally accessible resources for judges and criminal justice professionals to use in improving the manner in which they handle sex offense cases.

    The first phase of the project includes convening a National Project Advisory Board and revising and enhancing the CASOM curriculum developed by COSM and NJC in 2010. Once the revised curriculum is finalized, CSOM and NJC will conduct three regional judicial conferences on CASOM. To recruit participants in these regional conferences, CSOM and NJC will work with state chief justices, chief/administrative judges, and state judicial educators.

    For more information on this project, please contact the National Judicial College at 1- (800) 25-JUDGE.

  • Kenyan Delegates visit Nevada Supreme Court

    by David Gordon, Academic Coordinator, Judicial Education, Nevada Supreme Court/AOC

    As a part of the Judicial Administration, Training, and Decision Making Project for Kenya, in cooperation with the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, a delegation from the Kenyan Courts visited the Nevada Supreme Court on October 31st, 2011.  The group included Deputy Chief Justice and Vice president of the Supreme Court of Kenya, The Honorable Lady Justice Nancy Baraza, Director of the Judicial Training Institute, the Honorable Mr. Justice Paul Kariuki, and Chief Registrar Ms. Gladys Boss Shollei.

    Kenyan Delegates
    left to right: Baraza, Kariuki, Shollei

    The delegations specific task was to gather information about judicial reform, and they met with Mr. Gary Turner, Manager of the Judicial Education Unit, and Mr. David Gordon, Academic Coordinator.

    The delegation was provided with an overview of Nevada’s initial, and continuing judicial education requirements.  Nevada’s Statutes and Supreme Court Rules governing continuing judicial education requirements were also discussed, and provided to the delegation.

    The group asked questions regarding the adherence to continuing education requirements, and were interested in issues dealing with non-compliance (for which provisions are in place, but implementation has not been required), and were interested in the incentives provided to judges who achieve certain levels of educational accomplishment (Nevada provides awards in the form of certificates, plaques, etc. for achieving 240, 440, 640, and 1000 hours of education during a career).  They were also interested in the process by which curricula and faculty are agreed upon.

  • New manager selected for Missouri judicial education

    Anthony Simones

    Dr. Anthony Simones has been named the Manager of Judicial Education and Programming for the Court Business Services Division of the Office of State Courts Administrator in Missouri.

    Simones obtained a J.D. and Ph.D from the University of Tennessee. He served as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Political Science at Missouri State University from 1991-2002, where he taught Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and American Government. He won the Governor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and was a two-time nominee for the Carnegie Foundation’s U.S. Professor of the Year in his time at Missouri State University.

    He then moved on to Thompson/Wadsworth Publishing, where he developed educational materials for both college students and professors, as well as creating computer simulations for government students and instructional DVDs in collaboration with ABC News and CNN.

    In 2004, he took a position at Dalton State College, where he taught classes ranging from Juvenile Justice and Criminology to Profiling and Judicial Process, as well as developing and administering a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. At the time he left DSC in 2011, Dr. Simones was a nominee for Georgia Professor of the Year and for the Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year.

    “It is an honor to work in this field and to actually participate in the very things about which I was teaching just a few months ago,” Simones said about his new position.

    We welcome him to NASJE.

  • Transitions – Winter 2012

    Please join us in welcoming the following new NASJE members:

    • Ms. Susan L. Love, Judicial Education & Development Manager, 4th Judicial District Court, Hennepin County, Minneapolis, MN
    • Ms. April Dawn M. Skilling, Staff Attorney, Office of the State Courts Administrator, Court Education Division, Tallahassee, FL
    • Mr. Gary R. Turner, Manager of Judicial Education, Administrative Office of the Courts, Nevada Supreme Court, Carson City, NV

  • From the President – Fall 2011

    NASJE President, Joseph Sawyer
    NASJE President for 2011-2012, Joseph Sawyer

    Welcome NASJE members to the latest edition of NASJE News. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Phil Schopick and the members of the newsletter committee for keeping NASJE informed of recent educational developments affecting judicial education.

    The NASJE executive board will be announcing a series of educational webcasts covering adult education basics, the ongoing curriculum project funded by the State Justice Institute, and the integration of access, fairness, and diversity issues within other judicial education topics. We will announce the dates and times of the webcast before the end of October.

    Claudia Fernandes, chair of our International Committee, has secured the renewal of NASJE’s agreement with the National Center for State Courts to cooperate in supporting international teaching opportunities of NASJE members. A survey will be sent to each member to determine your interest and availability to teach internationally.

    Christy Tull and the Curriculum Committee are continuing to develop and promote the model curriculum project. NASJE is fortunate to have the financial support of SJI. NASJE members who attended the annual conference in Las Vegas have received a copy of the Curriculum as developed to date. For members unable to attend the conference, a copy will be mailed to you soon.

    While each of us continues to face funding cuts at the state and federal level, NASJE’s committees strive to develop new and cost effective ways to deliver judicial branch education. As an all-volunteer organization, we depend upon each other to share creative solutions to common problems. Each you should be proud of the dedication, professionalism, and commitment of NASJE members who serve on the various committees that keep NASJE at the cutting edge of judicial branch education.

    You will be hearing from various committees soon concerning educational offerings that reach beyond the annual conference. NASJE is working toward year-round membership education. The executive board looks forward to your participation in this ongoing effort.

  • Transitions – Fall 2011

    Please join us in welcoming the following new NASJE members:

    • Ms. Wendy Schiller, Projects Coordinator, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Juvenile and Family Law Department, Reno, NV
    • Dr. Anthony Simones, Manager of Judicial Education, Office of State Court Administration, Jefferson City, MO
    • Mr. Ronald E. Truss, Principal Magistrate, Birmingham Municipal Court, Birmingham, AL

  • Nevada Supreme Court Names New Judicial Education Manager

    The Judicial Education office of the Nevada Supreme Court recently welcomed Gary Turner as the new judicial education manager.

    Gary has developed, taught, and supervised courses at the University of Illinois, Parkland College, Western Illinois University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, over the past 29 years and has provided consulting and training for several state and local agencies throughout the United States. Prior to joining Judicial Education, Gary spent the past 1½ years with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) as a training officer developing and teaching leadership, management, and supervisory courses.

    Prior to joining NDOT, Gary spent 6½ years with the Nevada Commission on Peace Officers Standards & Training as the chief for the basic training bureau. Prior to moving to Nevada to accept the position at the commission, he was the first Director of the police academy at Western Illinois University for 4 years.

    Gary spent almost 25 years with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois in several capacities including the last 8 years as the chief deputy prior to accepting the position at Western Illinois University. He also spent 3 years with the U.S. Marine Corps. Gary has a B.S. in Education from Eastern Illinois University, an M.P.A. from the University of Illinois, Springfield, and is completing his PhD in Educational Leadership at the University of Nevada, Reno.

    “I am humbled to be a part of Judicial Education. I have told people that there are few greater purposes in life than that of assisting the judiciary and staff in learning that which sets the course for our state.”

    Please join us in welcoming Gary to judicial branch education. Gary can be contacted at Turner@nvcourts.nv.com/775.687.9857.