Here is an article that details how three states got grants for initiatives to combat alcohol, cannabis and multiple-substance impaired driving.
TJCTC Updates 5.30.2024
Hello Judges, Clerks, Constables, & Deputies,
We have training opportunities and resources to share with you in this last eblast this month. We hope you are enjoying your summer so far!
Court Personnel Exams Open!
The spring edition of the court personnel exams are now open! Take your open book exam online with TJCTC’s virtual proctoring program. The exams will be open until June 19th. Register by June 14th to take exams during this timeframe. To learn about the exam and register now, visit our court personnel certification page: https://www.tjctc.org/court-personnel/clerk-certification-program.html For questions, email Jessica at jessforeman@txstate.edu.
What is the clerk certification program?
The Justice Court Clerk Certification Program allows experienced justice court clerks to demonstrate their knowledge of statutes, procedures, and ethical guidelines applicable to Texas justice courts. Justice court clerks who pass an examination receive certification as a Certified Clerk or a Master Certified Clerk. The Texas Justice Court Training Center creates and administers all exams.
Texas DSHS Training on Mass Fatalities
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Location: Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), 7500 W US Highway 90 1-200, San Antonio, Texas 78227
This in-person seminar will cover the topic of Mass Fatality Management in Public Health Region 8. Presentations will be given by the following agencies: American Red Cross, Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, Medicolegal Authority/Justice of the Peace, Texas Department of State Health Services Region 8, Texas Funeral Directors Association and Texas Mass Fatality Operations Response Team (TMORT). When the presentations are completed, the speakers will form a panel and a question-and-answer session will occur to provide attendees the opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification for issues not addressed during the lectures.
For more information and to register, visit the DSHS website.
Impaired Driving Taskforce DWI Summits hosted by The Texas Center for the Judiciary
The DWI Summits bring judicial education to smaller communities around the state. Come learn about:
The program is open to County Judges, County Court at Law Judges, District Judges and Justices of the Peace. Programs begin at 10 a.m. and conclude by 3 p.m. Lunch is provided. Please check with your judicial education organization regarding reimbursement. |
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Email hollyd@yourhonor.com if you would like to attend or need more information.
Free Lexipol Webinar for Law Enforcement
Every Day Is a Training Day: The Value of Daily Training on Policy
Thursday, May 30 | 1 pm Eastern
Presented by: Chief (Ret.) Mike Ranalli and Battalion Chief (Ret.) Bruce Bjorge
When first responders are operating in the field, they are often required to make quick decisions. As a public safety leader, you hope your personnel have been trained on both policy and practice and you trust they are making sound decisions. However, there are times when your personnel encounter unfamiliar scenarios — situations that are low frequency but high risk.
Join Chief (Ret.) Mike Ranalli and Battalion Chief (Ret.) Bruce Bjorge, as they discuss how using Daily Training Bulletins (DTBs) can help ensure your personnel are not only reviewing agency policy but also receiving regular training on your agency policy.
You’ll learn:
- The legal and cultural reasons training requirements exist.
- How DTBs can be one of the most versatile tools in your training toolbox.
- How to identify which training needs can be met by DTBs and which can’t.
- How Lexipol’s Policy Management solution can help to fulfill your policy training needs.
Registration is free. Can’t make it? Register anyway and Lexipol will send you a link to the recording after the event.
NCSC Webinar – Courageous Conversations
Wednesday, June 12
Courageous conversations are fundamental to effective leadership. As a leader, conversations with your team, colleagues, and even supervisor can, at times, be challenging to navigate. It is through the careful navigation of these conversations that one can foster positive relationships and ensure effective communication.
In this episode of Navigating Leadership, Sara Grondahl, Human Resources Director for the Alaska Court System, will discuss familiar challenges and barriers to effective communication and leave you feeling empowered with a toolbox of skills and strategies that will allow you to confidently put courageous conversations into practice.
Future sessions of this series include:
- July 10 – Effective Leadership Teams
- August 14 – How to Get and Give Good Feedback
- September 11 – What Does Leadership Mean to You?
- October 9 – Transitioning to a New Leadership Role
- November 13 – Developing a Leadership Culture
Visit ncsc.org/leadershipseries for more information and to access sessions on demand.
Mental Health Resources
To round out Mental Health Awareness Month, the JCMH Collaborative Council recently shared the following resources for county officials involved in Mental Health Committees/Councils/Workgroups. Several may be helpful in rural areas, especially to get grant funding or loan forgiveness programs started for mental healthcare workers.
State Office of Rural Health Resources
This is a great resource for rural judges to share with their local partners who work in the mental healthcare. SORH works to support rural health providers by providing technical assistance with finance, operations, and quality through a variety of grant programs, workshops, and one-on-one assistance. Additional resources include educational awards that are available to individual clinicians and health care institutions, information and referral, funding resources, and assistance with medical license applications.
Visit their website.
Mental Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program
Mental health professionals practicing in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA) and providing services to recipients under a medical assistance program, may be eligible for a loan repayment award between $10,000 and $160,000, depending on your practice specialty.
If this sounds like it applies to professionals in your county, check out their website.
Department of Health and Human Services Loan Repayment Program
This is another grant opportunity for mental health and substance abuse professionals who work in underserved areas.
If this sounds like it applies to professionals in your county, check out their website.
Save-the-Date for the Annual JCMH Summit
Please join the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health (JCMH) for the 2024 Judicial Summit on Mental Health taking place November 21 – 22, 2024, at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center in Allen, Texas.
JCMH is also accepting session proposals if your court or another county program is doing something that you would like to share with stakeholders around the state.
Visit the JCMH website for details and more information.
We hope you found something helpful in this update. See you at a program soon!
– Thea & the TJCTC Team
Helping Parents Fight Impaired Driving
This article provides details about Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) creating a handbook for parents to help fight against underage drinking and impaired driving.
Drunk Driving Deaths Increased Again
Here is an article that provides details on the increase of drunk driving deaths throughout the nation.
Upcoming Impaired Driving Webinar
Impaired Driving Behavioral Interventions Around the Globe, hosted by The Impaired Driving Behavioral Interventions Interest Group
March 13 at 9:00 am Central Time
This webinar will highlight current evidence based impaired driving behavioral interventions conducted in Iran, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. An interactive panel will follow these presentations including:
- How best practices and effective interventions can be implemented across the globe.
- Where are the challenges to implement these strategies?
- What does research tell us about the effectiveness of pre-trial/pre-sentence interventions for the impaired driver population?
- Where are the gaps in training and education for these countermeasures?
- What impaired driving technologies can help with implementation of interventions?
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M1A93de1SOa9Nz1lIEmTzQ#/registration
TJCTC Updates 2.23.2024
Good Afternoon Judges, Constables, & Court Staff,
With February coming to a close, we wanted to share some more resources, updates, and especially some legal updates with you.
Updates from Legal
Warrant Teletypes
Can a judge magistrate on the teletype of a warrant, or do they need an actual copy of the warrant?
You are not legally prohibited from magistrating on a teletype when you do not have a copy of the warrant, but it is definitely a best practice to have the warrant. Teletypes can sometimes have incorrect information or not have enough detail, which can then result in errors in setting bail. Here are some examples of potential problems:
- You might not know if the warrant has been issued by the trial court judge (which would mean you are prohibited from making a bail decision) or by a magistrate (in which case you are required to make a bail decision), and this also impacts how the bail form is filled out in the PSRS.
- If the teletype says, “no bail,” it is not always clear if it is saying no bail is allowed or just that there is not a recommended dollar amount.
- Without the details from the warrant, you will often not have enough information about the circumstances under which the offense was committed, which is one of the factors that must be considered when determining bail.
These are just three examples; other problems could arise as well. So while it is not technically required, TJCTC recommends having a copy of the warrant to ensure that you make a good bail decision.
Texas Supreme Court Finalizes Updates for Rule of Judicial Administration 7
Earlier this week, the Texas Supreme Court published their final updates to the Rules of Judicial Administration regarding confidentiality policies. The new Rule 7.1 requires all courts (including justice courts) to develop a confidentiality policy and rules for training and distributing the policy to court staff. They also helpfully included their own policy which may be used as a model for other courts.
Upcoming Webinars
TAA Lease Update for 2024, hosted by TJCTC (1 civil hr.)
February 23rd from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. TODAY!!!
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, hosted by TJCTC
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
Impaired Driving Behavioral Interventions Around the Globe, hosted by The Impaired Driving Behavioral Interventions Interest Group
March 13 at 9:00 am Central Time
This webinar will highlight current evidence based impaired driving behavioral interventions conducted in Iran, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. An interactive panel will follow these presentations including:
- How best practices and effective interventions can be implemented across the globe.
- Where are the challenges to implement these strategies?
- What does research tell us about the effectiveness of pre-trial/pre-sentence interventions for the impaired driver population?
- Where are the gaps in training and education for these countermeasures?
- What impaired driving technologies can help with implementation of interventions?
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M1A93de1SOa9Nz1lIEmTzQ#/registration
National Center for State Court Updates
NCSC 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. NCSC also hosted a Mental Health Diversion webinar in December 2023 on “Lessons from the Field.”
Download from the NCSC website.
NCSC Inclusive Language Resources
NCSC updated the Gender Inclusive Language Toolkit to reflect the best practices learned since initially releasing it over a year ago. It has a fresh look and light restructuring, but the message is the same. Check it out!
Also, here is a sample benchcard for quick tips and best practices that you can download. While the bench card is primarily directed to judges, the guidance in it is applicable to all professionals in the legal field.
Finally, if you have not yet watched the Tiny Chat or webinar on the topic, they are great quick references.
Updates from the Judicial Commission on Mental Health (JCMH)
JCMH routinely sends out updates including resources and training that is helpful for justice courts. If you would like to get these updates, subscribe to their email list.
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