Good Afternoon Judges, Constables, & Court Staff,
Can you believe we are already well into February? Time flies when you are having fun seeing your colleagues at training! Buckle up, because this is a long list of resources and updates, but all are very worth the read.
Accessibility & Access in the Courts
Recently a local attorney reached out to TJCTC to give praise to the Texas justice courts and offer his experiences to help courts ensure access to the courts for people with invisible disabilities and health conditions that might make it harder for them to appear in court.
Staff Attorney Amber Myers interviewed him for an episode of the National Association of State Judicial Educators (NASJE) Spotlight Podcast to share this great information not only with Texas courts but also those nationwide. You can watch the episode on the NASJE YouTube Page.
Also in January, the National Center for State Courts held a webinar about Inclusive Communications for People with Disabilities in Court. If you missed it, the shared resources are below.
Watch the recording of the webinar on the NCSC website: https://www.ncsc.org/consulting-and-research/webinars
Other Resources:
ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments
Access to Justice Knowledge Hub Modules
ABA Article on Supported Decision Making
Texas Law Help YouTube Channel
A great resource for self-represented litigants, especially if they speak a language other than English.
https://www.youtube.com/@TexasLawHelpwebsite/videos
Upcoming Webinars
TAA Lease Update for 2024, 1 civil hour
February 23rd from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Join TAA for a review of the latest version of its lease! This class will allow courts to fully understand the terms of the most commonly-used lease in eviction and other landlord-tenant disputes.
Registration link: https://txstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a5eSTV1pSg2vrIosPqOScA#/registration
Implementing SB4: Magistrate’s Order to Return
Feb 29th from 2 – 3:00 p.m.
Instructor: Bronson Tucker
This webinar will cover SB 4, taking effect on March 4th, which allows magistrates processing defendants charged with Illegal Entry into Texas to issue orders for the defendant to leave the United States. It is critical that magistrates follow the law precisely to avoid liability, and these issues will be covered in this critical course.
Registration: https://txstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3oUM3-19S4C40lTAYHqSRA
*New* Recordings for Credit
Texas State Law Library Online Resources, 1 Hour Civil
Do you know about the resources available on the Texas State Law Library (TSLL) Website? Any Texan can get a free library card and access to these legal resources, so not only can judges, constables, and court staff use these resources for legal research, but the public can as well. Watch this one-hour prerecorded webinar for an overview from TSLL staff.
State of the State: Texas Demographic Trends and Characteristics, hosted by TJCTC
Speaker: Lloyd B. Potter
Do you want to know who is in your county and state? This webinar will provide information on the Texas population, including rural vs urban trends, migration information, and birth rates. It will also cover how Texas compares to other states and projected changes for Texas’ future.
You can find the recording for credit on the TJCTC Recordings for Credit Page under Court and Office Management Webinars. The TSLL also has additional self-help videos on their YouTube Page.
National Center for State Courts Releases New Guide to Mental Health Diversion
This guide is intended to serve as a resource framework for courts and judges to use to promote and implement diversion strategies for individuals with behavioral health needs in their communities. Ideally, judges would collaborate with a range of system stakeholders to examine the entire diversion continuum but could also focus on one step of the process at a time. This guide focuses on jail diversion systems, post arrest, and pre plea.
Download from the NCSC website
New Attorney General Opinion Regarding School Marshals KP-0454
Summary: A school district board of trustees may designate an individual to carry a handgun for the protection of students and staff by implementing a guardian plan or utilizing a school security officer. Education Code section 37.0811 provides another option for accomplishing this purpose by generally allowing a school board to appoint one or more school marshals for each campus in the district. Subsection 37.0811(c) authorizes a school marshal to possess a handgun on the physical premises of a school, but only in the manner provided by written regulations adopted by the board of trustees. A school marshal possesses a handgun when it is openly carried on the marshal’s duty belt. Therefore, a court would likely conclude that Education Code subsection 37.0811(c) authorizes a board of trustees to adopt regulations that allow a school marshal to duty belt carry a handgun.
Update on Legal Calls
We have had a large number of calls finding their way into the wrong voicemail inboxes. Remember, please dial 512-347-9927 and press “1” for legal calls. If you don’t, the voicemails end up with our program staff who also have a high call volume. Often times your legal call messages end up lost in their inboxes and don’t get transferred to the legal team for several days.
As always, we are looking forward to seeing you at a program in the upcoming months. We have a very busy Spring full of education events for you lined up from TJCTC!
Thea & the TJCTC Team
