Why have phases? Virtually all adult Drug Courts and DWI Courts have phases to provide structure for the program and recognize benchmarks along the way to graduation. Drug/DWI Courts tend to be long, rigorous programs, lasting one to two years. Giving the program structure gives the participant bite size pieces to tear off and digest.
Do you have employees who operate motor vehicles for your company? What steps have you taken to ensure your employees are wide-awake when driving? Do you have a policy? Have you provided education programs? If you answered the last two questions with “no,” you are putting your employees and your company at risk. This blog
According to the Pew Research Center, 68% of Americans have smartphones and 45% have tablet computers. Along with smart phones and tablets come apps – apps that keep track of airline reservations; apps that count calories; apps that fetch drivers. There’s an app for just about anything. A new set of apps have been developed
This episode examines a compassionate yet controversial decision by Judge Lou Olivera, a Veterans Treatment Court judge, who served a night in jail with a veteran participant. We explore the ethical questions raised by his actions, the challenges of addressing PTSD among veterans, and the balance between judicial integrity and humanity in treatment courts.
Editor’s Note: June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Learn more here. With our ever growing aging population, crimes against older adults are increasing and becoming more widespread. Since 2010, the senior population (65 and over) has increased 30% compared to an overall population growth of only 12%. The percentage of Americans in their
I was recently invited by the Turkish Association of Judicial Unity, (YBD) to be an observer at an international symposium on the Syrian refugee crisis. It was arranged in cooperation with the law schools of Istanbul and Ankara Universities, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and the Turkish Ministry of Interior. Turkey
May 20, 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Romer v. Evans. This was the first positive decision by that Court on the issues of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights. It overturned a discriminatory Colorado initiative (Amendment 2) that sought to amend the state constitution to prohibit protections for
Over thirty years ago, I walked into a courtroom located in Eaton County, Michigan. I was a new assistant prosecuting attorney (APA) eager to start doing jury trials, to make my community a safer place. I became an APA because I believe that holding people accountable for their actions will make the world a better
Along with alcohol and other drugs in the workplace, the advent of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana in many states requires employers to face a variety of issues related to the use of marijuana by employees. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated in 2013 that 9.1% of full-time
The common law legal theory of vicarious liability existed long before the invention of the first motor vehicle. Applying the concept of respondeat superior, courts have held that an employer is responsible for the wrongful acts or omissions of their employees during their scope of their employment. For an act to be considered within the











