There is no dearth of information about the impact of the COVID-19 virus and subsequent quarantine and their effects on the courts. In a recent survey from the National Judicial College, “Nearly 6 in 10 of the 867 judges who responded said their courts were down to 25 percent or less of normal. Nearly 80
Chief District Court Judge Tom Jarrell (Guilford County, NC) died suddenly last August in his bedroom. His colleagues were stunned at his sudden passing at age 56. They went from stunned to shocked when his autopsy results were revealed last week showing his cause of death as an accidental overdose of fentanyl and heroin. One
Every family has one — Grandpa who is an “alkie,” the “junkie” cousin, the little brother who has become a “pothead,” and Mom who takes too many Vicodin. But what we call these people not only affects how we think about them but also affects what services they receive. Positive Changes in Language Six years ago,
Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) and those that have a similar outlook have been called “problem-solving, accountability, behavioral justice, therapeutic, problem oriented, collaborative justice, outcome oriented and constructive intervention courts.”1 All rely on therapeutic jurisprudence and non-adversarial justice and all designations refer to a different way of doing business where the focus is on treatment and
New Zealand’s Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts – Justice Speaks Podcast Judges Lisa Tremewan and Ema Aitken are the founders of the New Zealand Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts (AODTC). The late Chief Judge, Russell Johnson, sent a delegation of judges to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ annual training conference in
A Time of Celebration and Hope www.recoverymonth.gov In Memorium: Christopher Kennedy Lawford, 33 years sober. While recovery should be celebrated every day, September is the 29thAnnual National Recovery Month to remind us of the importance of this issue in our communities. We ask local policy makers to sign proclamations to demonstrate a commitment to improving
Why do judges and other justice professionals need to be cognizant of trauma as it relates to court cases? Like it or not, trauma seems to be the overwhelming negative factor affecting many people who come to court. From treatment court participants to those who have experienced child abuse and neglect, “adverse childhood events” (ACE)
(Editor’s Note: April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This is an important issue that involves alcohol) What does murder in America look like? It happens at night. The victim is the wife. Her husband is the one who killed her, and he is older than 30 with a criminal record. He acts alone. In half of cases,
“According the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2016, over 11 million Americans misused prescription opioids, nearly 1 million used heroin, and 2.1 million had an opioid use disorder due to prescription opioids or heroin….Since 2000, more than 300,000 Americans have died of an
