NCSC Future Trends Report Spotlights Court-Community Relationship
Four Ohioans wrote articles appearing in Future Trends in State Courts 2012, an annual publication from the National Center for State Courts.
Four Ohioans wrote articles appearing in Future Trends in State Courts 2012, an annual publication from the National Center for State Courts.
Cleveland Municipal Court Housing Division Judge Raymond L. Pianka authored an article that touts the benefits of this special-purpose court, which include adjudicating cases and solving problems comprehensively and holistically.
“As with other specialized courts, the housing court needs judges and staff members with subject-matter expertise and passion for the issues heard here,” he wrote. “The quality of service provided by this housing court is a result of the dedication and expert knowledge of the court’s staff and is reflected in the number of people who look to the court as a source of informed and just public service.”
Besides the section featuring courts and community programs, the publication also addresses three other areas where courts are improving services: leadership in courts, better courts and court education.
Included in the court education portion is an article co-authored by Christy Tull, manager of curriculum development, for the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College, and Ann O’Connell, a professor of quantitative research, evaluation and measurement at The Ohio State University.
The authors argue that investments in the personal and professional development of court leaders and staff pay dividends year after year.
“Judicial branch education helps equip judges and court personnel in making the needed deposits into their banks of knowledge and skills so that they can make withdrawals to fulfill their roles,” according to the article. “As they continuously improve their competence, the administration of justice is enhanced and public trust and confidence in the judicial system is upheld.”
The report also contains a special section devoted to privacy policy and technology solutions in cases involving families and children.
In an article in this section, Montgomery County Juvenile Court Judge Anthony Capizzi advocates that courts should create a privacy policy. He also suggests resources for courts that have not established privacy protections.