judicial education

Judge Peggy Hora Honored for Judicial Education Excellence

Judge Peggy Hora, a pioneer in judicial education and problem-solving courts, received the 2017 V. Robert Payant Award for Teaching Excellence. Honored by the National Judicial College, she has led courses worldwide and advanced therapeutic jurisprudence through her writing, training, and leadership with JSI and the global judiciary.
  • Published in Law
Tagged under: , , , ,
veterans treatment courts

Veterans Treatment Courts: A Special Court to Deal Effectively with Convicted Veterans

Veterans treatment courts offer a second chance to veterans like Joe, who return from combat with PTSD and trauma. This blog explains how these courts connect justice-involved veterans to treatment, accountability, and peer support—ultimately saving lives and reducing incarceration. The results are remarkable, and the need is urgent.
Tagged under: , , , ,
right to counsel at arraignment

Oakland County Lawsuit Highlights Right to Counsel Crisis

Oakland County is suing Michigan over who should pay to uphold the right to counsel at arraignment. The lawsuit highlights a critical justice issue: without early legal representation, poor defendants face jail and high costs. The proposed standards could cut jail expenses—but local governments want the state to foot the bill.
  • Published in Law
Tagged under: , , , ,

Avenues to Truth: A Free Press

Do you care about your freedom?  If so, this article is for you. Norway and North Korea – What do they have in common?  Overall, not much, with a significant difference between the two countries being that Norway is ranked number one on the 2017 World Press Freedom Index and North Korea is ranked 180—the
  • Published in Law
Tagged under: , ,
marijuana use and child custody

Marijuana Use and Child Custody: Legal Conflicts Ahead

As marijuana legalization spreads, courts are grappling with its impact on child custody and visitation. Parents risk losing custody, even for legal use. With conflicting laws and few precedents, judges must balance child safety with evolving legal standards. The debate over marijuana use and parental rights is just beginning.
Tagged under: , , ,
Procedural Fairness

“Dumb on Crime”

Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, liberals and conservatives, there was support from both the right and the left to dismantle the “war on drugs” and reduce mass incarceration.  For a number of years, citizens have rejected the politicians’ shibboleth of “tough on crime.”  Public opinion polls supported treatment over incarceration, particularly for non-violent crimes.  Prisons were closing,
international drug court training

International Drug Court Training: Judge Hora’s Journey to Australia and New Zealand

JSI Co-Founder Judge Peggy Hora (Ret.) delivered drug court training in Australia and New Zealand, meeting with legal leaders and presenting on best practices. From Melbourne to Auckland, her international work highlights the global impact of evidence-based justice and the growth of non-adversarial court models.
Tagged under: , , , ,
Airline passenger rights

Airline Passenger Rights: What Contracts Reveal About Customer Treatment

When my partners and I created the Justice Speakers Institute, the main goal was to work to improve justice throughout the world but, admittedly, I also wanted the opportunity to travel.  As a result, I purchase a lot of airline tickets flying from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, a Delta hub. I have had my share of
  • Published in Law
Tagged under: ,
Why democracy matters

Why Democracy Matters: Lessons from Flint’s Water Crisis

The number of people claiming that the American governmental system is broken and that it is impossible to fix is growing. Anti-democratic rhetoric is now common. On Twitter, Facebook and other social media, people routinely claim that our founders created a republic, not a democracy, while others express support for rolling back democratic election reforms.
  • Published in Law
Tagged under: , ,
Therapeutic justice

Therapeutic Justice: Integrating Law and Well-Being in Courts

Guest Authors ARIE FREIBERG, Emeritus Professor of Law, Monash UniversityDr BECKY BATAGOL, Senior Lecturer in Law, Monash UniversityBoth Co-Authors Non-Adversarial Justice, 2nd ed, 2014 The Australian published an opinion piece in which Jennifer Oriel argued that that ‘activist judges’ are usurping the role of parliament in promoting non-adversarial justice, therapeutic jurisprudence and restorative justice. The piece is