JUDICIAL BRANCH OF ARIZONA IN MOHAVE COUNTY ANNUAL REPORT January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009 http://www.mohavecourts.com SUPERIOR AND JUSTICE COURTS ADULT AND JUVENILE PROBATION CLERK OF THE SUPERIOR COURT JUDICIAL BRANCH Enclosed within this report is a detail of the work completed by the Superior Court, Justice Courts and the Adult and Juvenile Probation Departments during calendar year 2009. This represents the first annual report of its kind for the Courts in Mohave County and we hope it will help highlight the significant work completed by the staff and judicial officers of the Court. Our vision remains to continue to deliver the highest quality of justice services and to achieve excellence in all that we do. During this past year both the Courts and Probation department were impacted negatively as a result of the national economic downturn, however, through the efforts of management and staff the work of the courts has continued to be accomplished in a timely and effective manner. We recognize there is continuing strain on budget resources currently and hope to avoid any further cuts within the respective departments. The completion of the remodeled entrance and addition of a new jury room to the Courthouse in Kingman was a significant accomplishment during 2009. This new addition provides needed space for the Clerk’s office, provides a long awaited jury assembly room for the public and enhances the appearance of the courthouse. We appreciate the support of the County in helping this project become a reality. Additionally, the work that was started on a remodel of a new building for the Probation Department has been highly anticipated and we know this will enhance operations and provide greater security for them. Finally we continue to work with the County on the construction of a new facility for the Moccasin Justice Court and support all efforts to ensure this work is completed as soon as possible. We recognize and express appreciation for the continuing support we receive from the Arizona Supreme Court, the State Legislature, the County Board of Supervisors and County Management in our efforts to accomplish the mission of the Courts. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Richard Weiss, Presiding Judge Richard Weiss Presiding Judge MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Courts of Mohave County is to uphold the laws of the land. We shall resolve disputes and legal matters and serve the public in a fair, timely, consistent, & professional manner. VISION As a leader among all courts, the Courts of Mohave County will:        Be more user‐friendly & accessible. Have safe & adequate facilities. Use technology to enhance access & services. Provide innovative and effective programming & services. Encourage collaboration among all partners & stakeholders. Employ highly motivated, competent, & professional staff. Be responsive to the needs of the community. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. CALENDAR YEAR 2009 STATISTICS SUPERIOR COURT 2009 CASE FILINGS BY TYPE .................................................................... SUPERIOR COURT 2005 – 2009 CASE FILINGS BY TYPE ......................................................... SUPERIOR COURT TOTAL ANNUAL CASE FILINGS BY TYPE .................................................... JUSTICE COURT 2009 CASE FILINGS BY TYPE ......................................................................... JUSTICE COURT 2005 – 2009 CASE FILINGS BY TYPE ............................................................. JUSTICE COURT TOTAL ANNUAL CASE FILINGS BY TYPE ........................................................ II. 1 2 3 4 5 6 SUPERIOR COURT PROBATION ................................................................................................................ 7 MEDIATION/CONCILIATION COURT........................................................................... 9 JUVENILE DRUG COURT .............................................................................................11 INFANT/TODDLER MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM........................................................12 COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE ..................................................................13 SUPPORT SERVICES COURT SECURITY............................................................................................14 COURT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES ....................................................................15 HUMAN RESOURCES ....................................................................................17 COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING ...............................18 LAW LIBRARY..................................................................................................19 III. JUSTICE COURT HIGHLIGHTS ...............................................................................................................20 JUSTICE COURT CASE ACTIVITY – NEW CASE FILINGS ...............................................21 JUSTICE COURT CASE ACTIVITY – CASES TERMINATED .............................................22 IV. CLERK OF THE SUPERIOR COURT CASE MANAGEMENT/PUBLIC ACCESS .......................................................................23 MARRIAGE LICENSES ..................................................................................................23 PASSPORTS .................................................................................................................23 RECORDS RETENTION/ARCHIVES ...............................................................................23 RESTITUTION COLLECTIONS ......................................................................................24 JURY SERVICES ...........................................................................................................24 i SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MOHAVE COUNTY CASE FILINGS BY TYPE 2009 TOTAL FILINGS = 9,170 PROBATE, 6% CIVIL JUVENILE, 6% CRIMINAL, OTHER 15% 37% 16% DOMESTIC RELATIONS JUVENILE CRIMINAL PROBATE 20% 6% 15% 6% CIVIL, 37% DOMESTIC RELATIONS, 20% OTHER, 16% 1 SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MOHAVE COUNTY CASE FILINGS BY TYPE 2005‐2009 2005 12000 2006 2007 2008 10000 2009 2160 1910 2558 2142 2743 2052 2898 1654 3348 9,143 1389 1732 1678 1634 1684 1834 564 539 471 9,693497 548 1354 1342 2446 1369 1506 1423 1434 909 10,255 666 545 909 9143 9693 10255 8768 9170 9,170 8,768 1434 545 1423 666 2446 8000 1506 1342 1354 6000 1369 539 471 1678 1634 2142 2052 1654 2160 2558 2743 2898 2005 2006 2007 2008 548 497 564 1834 1684 1732 4000 1389 1910 2000 3348 0 CIVIL CRIMINAL DOMESTIC RELATIONS 2 JUVENILE OTHER 2009 PROBATE SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MOHAVE COUNTY TOTAL ANNUAL CASE FILINGS BY TYPE 2005‐2009 CASE TYPE 2005 % 2006 % 2007 % 2008 % 2009 % CIVIL 2,160 24% 2,558 26% 2,743 27% 2,898 33% 3,348 37% CRIMINAL 1,910 20% 2,142 22% 2,052 20% 1,654 19% 1,389 15% DOMESTIC RELATIONS 1,732 19% 1,678 17% 1,634 16% 1,684 19% 1,834 20% JUVENILE 564 6% 539 6% 471 4% 497 6% 548 6% OTHER 1354 15% 1342 14% 2446 24% 1369 16% 1506 16% PROBATE 1423 16% 1434 15% 909 9% 666 7% 545 6% ANNUAL TOTALS 9,143 9,693 3 10,255 8,768 9,170 MOHAVE COUNTY JUSTICE COURT CASE FILINGS BY TYPE 2009 TOTAL FILINGS – 48,501 CRIMINAL TRAFFIC, 11% PHOTO ENFORCEMENT, 7% CIVIL, 15% CRIMINAL TRAFFIC MISDEMEANOR INCLUDING FTA'S CIVIL TRAFFIC FELONY CIVIL PHOTO ENFORCEMENT FELONY, 6% 11% MISDEMEANOR INCLUDING FTA'S, 15% 15% 46% 6% 15% 7% CIVIL TRAFFIC, 46% CRIMINAL TRAFFIC MISDEMEANOR INCLUDING FTA'S CIVIL TRAFFIC 4 FELONY CIVIL PHOTO ENFORCEMENT MOHAVE COUNTY JUSTICE COURTS CASE FILINGS BY TYPE 2005 – 2009 60,000 50,000 2005 2006 40,000 2007 2008 2009 CRIMINAL TRAFFIC 3,893 6,448 5,222 6,205 5,430 4,950 5,193 49,920 48,501 48,328 MISDEMEANORS INCLUDING CIVIL FTA'S TRAFFIC 3,642CIVIL FELONY PHOTO ENFORCEMENT 3,116 2,956 9,263 21,112 6,205 3,893 46,921 3,831 8,996 21,702 3,831 46,545 2,791 7,368 6,794 7,625 8,791 24,689 7,368 3,642 49,920 6,794 7,231 8,381 24,415 7,625 2,956 1 48,328 7,307 22,863 7,231 2,791 3,116 48,501 30,000 21,112 24,689 21,702 24,415 22,863 20,000 10,000 9,263 8,996 8,791 8,381 7,307 6,448 5,222 5,430 4,950 5,193 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 0 CRIMINAL TRAFFIC PHOTO ENFORCEMENT FELONY CIVIL CIVIL TRAFFIC MISDEMEANORS INCLUDING FTA'S *PHOTO ENFORCEMENT IMPLEMENTED SEPTEMBER 2008 5 MOHAVE COUNTY JUSTICE COURTS TOTAL ANNUAL CASE FILINGS BY TYPE 2005 – 2009 CASE TYPE 2005 % 2006 % 2007 % 2008 % 2009 % CRIMINAL TRAFFIC 6,448 14% 5,222 11% 5,430 11% 4,950 10% 5,193 11% MISDEMEANOR INCLUDING FTA'S 9,263 20% 8,996 19% 8,791 18% 8,381 17% 7,307 15% CIVIL TRAFFIC 21,112 45% 21,702 47% 24,689 49% 24,415 51% 22,863 47% CIVIL 6,205 13% 6,794 15% 7,368 15% 7,625 16% 7,231 15% FELONY 3,893 8% 3,831 8% 3,642 7% 2,956 6% 2,791 6% 1 3,116 6% 48,328 48,501 PHOTO ENFORCEMENT ANNUAL TOTALS 46,921 46,545 49,920 *PHOTO ENFORCEMENT IMPLEMENTED SEPTEMBER, 2008 6 PROBATION DEPARTMENT The Probation Department had a challenging year in calendar year 2009. Due to budget reductions, eight surveillance officer positions were lost and an additional 15 to 20 positions have been left vacant. In spite of that, the department supervises a daily average of 1,523 probationers. Additionally, there were 737 bookings into the Juvenile Detention Center with a daily average population of 20. Also, more than 500 juveniles were successfully diverted from the formal court process. Listed below is a snapshot of some statistical data:      856 1238 49 $1,111,561.71* 43,106.55          2915 1819 635 502 179 57 737 20 $502,446.49*  19,195.50  16 Total number of pre‐sentence investigations completed. Average daily number of adults on standard probation. Average daily number of adults on intensive probation. Total adult Fines, Fees, and Restitution in dollars. Total adult hours of community service. (Equivalent to $312,158.49 at minimum wage). Total number of juvenile referrals (offenses). Total number of juveniles referred. Total number of juveniles diverted. Total number of successful diversions. Average daily number of juveniles on standard probation. Average daily number of Juveniles on intensive probation. Total number of bookings into detention. Average daily number of juveniles in detention. Total juvenile Fines, Fees, and Restitution in dollars. Including detention: $15,835.82. Total juvenile hours of community service. (Equivalent to $139,167.38 at minimum wage). Number of juveniles who successfully passed General Education Development (GED) test while in Detention: (Accumulative to date: 35) * Due to a computer programming complication there is some duplication in these numbers, however, the accurate total number for both adult and juvenile is $1,310.053.96. NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2009 One was in reducing revocations of adult probationers. Specifically, A.R.S 12‐270 (Laws 2008, Chapter 298) requires the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and the State Department of Corrections (ADC) to report annually on county probation revocations and probationers’ new felony offenses. Using this information, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) staff is required to annually report to the Legislature the results of various calculations. Based on these calculations, the Legislature is required to appropriate funding to counties that reduced their total probation revocations as well as their probation revocation rate for new felony offenses. Using baseline numbers from 2008, the calculations have shown that the Mohave County Probation Department’s Adult Division reduced probation revocations by 101 in 2009 and had a calculated Cost Avoidance for the State/ADC of over $1.7 million dollars. Mohave County Probation also had a reduction in revocation rates for new felony offenses of 3.5%. The Legislature is required to appropriate 7 40% of any costs that are avoided by reducing revocation rates. Mohave County’s appropriation is $684,000 ‐ the largest in the State! Another area of significant accomplishment was in the Juvenile Division – specifically the Juvenile Detention Center. In keeping with progressive national standards and best practice models of juvenile rehabilitation, staff has worked hard to ensure that the highest level of restraint (detention) on juveniles is applied only after an objective and consistent intake process. Where possible alternatives to detention have been implemented and while some juveniles require detention, only those who represent a risk to public safety have been detained. As a result of these efforts there has been a 36% reduction in the average daily population from 2006 to 2009. An outstanding accomplishment! 8 MEDIATION/CONCILIATION COURT Conciliation Court Services (CCS) is a department of the court for families experiencing marital stress or divorce. Information, counseling, mediation, and court‐ordered evaluation services are available to help families find solutions to relationship problems. CONCILIATION COUNSELING CCS staff provides conciliation counseling to those couples who are considering reconciliation. For the year 2009, there were 8 Conciliation Counseling cases served and a total of 23 sessions provided to the public. DIVORCE MEDIATION Divorce Mediation is a process whereby parents, with the assistance of a neutral mediator, attempt to reach an agreement regarding living arrangements and parenting time for their children. Mediation sessions are confidential and there is no fee for the service. There were a total of 483 mediation appointments set for the year. Of these appointments:          158 53 147 15 12 70 15 9 4 or or or or or or or or or 32.7% 10.9 % 30.4% 3.1% 2.4% 14.4% 3.1% 1.9% 1.1% Resulted in a complete agreement. Resulted in a partial agreement. Resulted in no agreement. Resulted in an agreement that changed to a no agreement. Resulted in a partial agreement that changed to a no agreement. Had one or both parties fail to appear. Were rescheduled or marked “Other”. Were cancelled or dismissed. Were pending. PARENT EDUCATION In accordance with a mandate from the Arizona Supreme Court, the Parent Education Program was developed to provide parents with information about the mediation process and the effects of divorce, or separation, on children and families. This four‐hour class covers topics such as custody and parenting time options, adult issues regarding divorce and separation, the developmental stages of children and how each stage is affected, and domestic violence and the effect it has on the family unit. Statistics regarding the class for the year are:     42 251 68 69 Classes were offered with a total of 622 attending. Were ordered to attend the class but did not attend. Participants received fee waivers. Received fee deferments. 9 VISITATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The Visitation Assistance Program for the Superior Court of Mohave County was created to provide assistance in the exchange of children for parenting time (visitation). The Visitation Assistance Program provides a neutral location at which trained staff of the office of Conciliation Court Services are available on‐site to monitor exchanges. There were a total of 3 families signed up to use this service in 2009. PARENTING COORDINATOR The Parenting Coordinator program was developed for those cases in which one or both parents are not meeting the court ordered items concerning the minor child(ren) or are high conflict cases that need more than a Mediation to resolve issues. The Parenting Coordinator will use facilitation, to aid the parties in reaching an agreement on how they will meet the terms of the court order. If the parents are unable to reach resolution, the Parenting Coordinator will make recommendations to the Court for resolution of the problem. There are a total of 332 Parent Coordinator cases currently active in the office. There were a total of 127 new Parent Coordinator appointments made in 2009. DEPENDENCY CASE FACILITATION/COORDINATION The Dependency Case Facilitation program was developed as part of the Model Court/Court Improvement Project through the Arizona Supreme Court. This program utilizes a Family Counselor/Mediator as the facilitator and/or mediator in para‐judicial conferences involving families who are in the process of dependency proceedings. The Dependency Coordinator also facilitates telephonic attendance by parties as well as notification to local Mental Health parties to attend the Dependency Mediation. During 2009 there were 137 dependency mediations held. CUSTODY EVALUATOR A child custody evaluation is a court ordered report written by a neutral professional about parents and their child(ren). The report summarizes each parent’s ideas about what would be best for the child(ren) and looks at the information from teachers, doctors and other people who have had contact with the child(ren). In formulating a recommendation, the evaluator analyzes the family dynamic as they affect the child(ren), and searches for a solution that serves the best interest of the child(ren). During 2009 there were 4 cases handled by the child custody evaluator. Additional Services In addition to the services noted above the following services were provided by the staff at the Conciliation Court / Mediation Center:    15 9 2 Court ordered child interviews. Child educational counseling sessions. Children divorce classes. 10 JUVENILE DRUG COURT The Mohave County Juvenile Drug Court provides intensive judicial intervention and monitoring of substance‐abusing juveniles while operating under the auspices of the Superior Court. The program is therapeutically designed to eliminate juvenile crime and strengthen the family unit in a supportive treatment environment The Mohave County Juvenile Drug Court began holding hearings in May, 2007. It was the eleventh county in the State to implement a juvenile drug court. It is a supplemental program utilized by both delinquency court, and the juvenile division of Probation. Every juvenile who is adjudicated delinquent and has a history of substance abuse, is eligible for screening to determine suitability. This program serves the entire county by conducting hearings in each of the three major cities of the county: Bullhead City, Kingman, and Lake Havasu City. In each geographic location, a diverse representation of attorneys, school personnel, counseling agencies, law enforcement agencies, and drug court staff, along with the Judge, comprise the Drug Court Team. It is the function of the team to meet prior to each hearing to monitor individual progress, and recommend treatment alternatives, awards, and/or sanctions. The program length is one year in duration and consists of three phases. Each subsequent phase consists of fewer requirements, until such time as these youth are successful with their sobriety and complete the entire program. STATISTICS In 2009, 129 juveniles were monitored by the Mohave County Juvenile Drug Court. Since 2007, the number of juveniles serviced has increased by at least 90%. Thus, growth has been steady since the program’s inception. STATISTICS FROM 2007‐2009 TOTAL YOUTH ENROLLED SINCE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM 170 PROGRAM # OF YOUTH CURRENTLY ENROLLED 31 23 # OF GRADUATES SINCE INCEPTION OF THE TOTAL DRUG‐FREE BABIES SINCE INCEPTION OF PROGRAM 2 PERSONNEL: The Mohave County Juvenile Drug Court is designed to operate with a limited number of personnel, who devote their time to gaining information on each client, each week, and communicating with all involved parties. The Probation Officers supervise the clients, while Drug Court staff gathers information from all respective agencies, to be shared on a weekly basis. Staff consists of a Secretary, a Coordinator, and a Case Manager. All parties work under the direction of the Presiding Juvenile Judge, Court Commissioner, and Court Administrator. RESOURCES: Since Mohave County does not have any residential treatment facilities, it is at a distinct disadvantage in dealing with substance‐abusing clients. Residents requiring in‐patient treatment have to be sent out of the community for care. Depending on the needs of the clients, local programming continues to evolve to meet such needs. 11 INFANT AND TODDLER COURT MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM NEED FOR A COURT TEAM: Recognizing a need existed to provide additional support to parents and toddlers in foster care, the Court put together a request to establish an Infant and Toddler team. This team recognizes that an increasing number of infants and toddlers with complicated and serious physical, mental health, and developmental problems are being removed from their homes. These young children are at great risk for long‐term harm due to the rapid development of their brains at this time in their lives. Foster parents and providers do not always have the necessary training to help address the unique social and emotional needs of this vulnerable population. FUNCTIONS OF THE COURT TEAM The Court Team provides a means for professionals working with children ages 0 to 5 years to coordinate services, and to make decisions. The role of the team is to advocate for programs and policies that are scientifically proven to be best practices for early childhood. The core components of the team include:     Judicial Leadership A Community Team Assistance from child development and mental health experts Training and technical assistance The Court Team, Mohave County Children’s Action Team (“MCCATS”), coordinates with LaPaz County and the Fort Mohave Indian Tribe to bring service providers together to share information, identify problems, and develop and implement plans for improvement. The goal is to be more responsive to the unique needs of very young children. Training on early childhood development is provided to court personnel, Child Protective Services case workers, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), dependency attorneys, foster parents, and child‐serving agencies region‐wide. 12 COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a volunteer from the community, appointed by a juvenile court judge, to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children. CASA staff reaches out to the community to recruit volunteers from all walks of life, with various professional and educational backgrounds. CASA volunteers make sure that the children do not get lost in the legal and social services system, or linger too long with inappropriate placement and care. The CASA volunteer may be the one constant adult presence in a child’s life. Volunteers are trained in courtroom procedure, the child protection system, the juvenile justice system, and the special needs of children who have been neglected and abused. CASA volunteers visit the children in their homes and make observations. Their goal is to make certain that all of the needs of the child are met. CASA volunteers also attend court hearings to provide insight on the cases, and make recommendations that are in the best interest of the child. Currently, there are approximately 150 juvenile dependency cases throughout Mohave County, and about 50 active CASA volunteers. There are 24 volunteers between Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City, and 26 volunteers working in Kingman. In 2009 there were 15 adoptions from cases involving CASAs. The Mohave County CASA program is always looking to recruit volunteers. CASAs are the only volunteers that are appointed by a judge and empowered to stand up for an abused or neglected child in court. CASA volunteers are special people who are committed to improving children’s lives. National CASA Program:www.casaforchildren.org Arizona CASA Program: www.supreme.state.az.us/CASA 13 COURT SECURITY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Court Security Department consists of one Manager, one Lieutenant, three Sergeants, and five Court Security Officers. Security officers are provided to courthouses in Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City and the Mediation Center in Kingman through a contract with Andrews International. Specific duties include:  Weapons screening at all entrances.  Maintaining order and decorum in courtrooms, mediation, clerk’s service windows, waiting areas and court premises.  Patrolling buildings.  Assuming responsibility for all emergency response and coordinating with first responders.  Assisting Detention and Probation Officers with courtroom security and transport of Adult and Juvenile inmates. ACCOMPLISHMENTS:         Co‐development of an AOC approved 8 hour Court Security Officer training program. Development of Simunitions Scenarios for Court specific incidents. Review and update of Court Security policy and procedure manual in accordance with the Strategic Plan. Co‐development of Defensive Tactics scenarios for Court Security Officer training. Co‐development of Courts Pandemic Influenza Operations Plan. Court Security Officers completed 16 hours of training, including: Use of Force, Customer Service, Report Writing, Weapons Screening, Simunitions, Interpersonal Communications, Evacuation Procedures and Defensive Tactics. Court Security Manager selected as Chair for Statewide Court Security Committee. In 2009 Security staff held 1,177 prohibited items from persons entering the Courts. Some of these items included knives, tools, handcuff keys, and pepper spray. 14 COURT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (CTS) AJACS – NEW CMS On February 9th, 2009 Mohave County Superior Court moved to a new case management system, AJACS. During this implementation CTS has managed and/or resolved over 900 calls for assistance.  CTS built automated processes to integrate AJACS case calendaring information into entrance display monitors.  Created an automated process to integrate AJACS scheduling to post to the Internet.  Created multiple other exports and reports from AJACS for court use. JUSTICE COURT SELF SERVICE FORMS CTS created multiple on‐line self service forms providing the public with general information on civil, small claims, protective orders, evictions, garnishments and collection of judgments. E‐PAYMENTS Court Technology provided the Public with a method to pay Kingman Justice and Kingman Municipal Court fees on‐line. In addition, we are quickly expanding this service to include Lake Havasu Consolidated, Bullhead Justice and Moccasin Justice Courts. E‐CITATIONS CTS completed a joint project with the Lake Havasu Police Department and the Lake Havasu Consolidated Court to allow the creation and distribution of Electronic Citations using hand held computers by the officers in the field. CLERKS FORMS CTS has continued to expand our web services by adding more self service forms and form packets for the Superior Court Clerk’s Office. APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT CTS has converted legacy applications and/or created new web enabled applications to enable courts to be more efficient with daily process.  CPTS – Payment Tracking web application.  JillyWeb – Converted legacy child support payment system to web enabled application.  Motion Book – Web enabled application that allows the Clerk’s office one location to see daily cases and events.  Whiteboard – This application provides multiple departments a central location to view the current In/Out status of employees.  Court Surveys – Provides the Court staff with a mechanism to voice their opinion on management, facilities, processes and procedures within the entire court family.  COJET Conference Registration – Provides court employees with an on‐line approach to registering for COJET classes.  JEDS – Tracks Juvenile Educational classes. 15 VIDEO CONFERENCING CTS has and will continue to expand video conferencing within Mohave Courts, to include Jail Substations as well as provide the ability to conduct a hearing with a remote court reporter. FTR IN COURTROOMS/COURTROOM EVIDENCE PRESENTATION CTS completed the installation of new FTR equipment in all courtrooms throughout Mohave County, digitally recording all hearings and automatically archiving audio to offsite recovery site within 5 minutes of hearing. In addition, CTS has and will continue to expand evidence presentation equipment in courtrooms by focusing on and providing resources to enable historical courtrooms to conduct modern trials. BUSINESS CONTINUITY CTS completed the installation of a redundant network connectivity point to the AOC in Phoenix to reduce down time in the event of a major disaster at our primary facility. In addition, CTS completed the installation of a large backup generator that maintains power to our entire computer room and critical components to ensure network uptime during extended power outages. FILE TRANSFERS CTS completed a project that allows court departments to scan in documents and store on external justice court partners servers, securing confidentiality of the document while maintaining the immediate transferring of documents. CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE During FY09, CTS received 6,082 calls for assistance. 16 HUMAN RESOURCES EMPLOYMENT SERVICES    The total number of budgeted positions in FY 09‐10 is 191.8 FTE (Full‐time equivalent). This excludes a total of 5.5 frozen and 21.5 unfunded FTE. This is a reduction of 28.5 FTE from the previous total budgeted FTE of 220.3 in FY 08‐09. The annual Superior Court turnover rate in 2009 is 15.64%. This is a slight reduction from the 17% annual turnover rate in the previous two fiscal years (FY 07‐08 and FY 08‐09). The average length of service for the Superior Court bench is 7.45 years. The average employee length of service by court division is as follows: Juvenile Detention ‐ 4.25 years, Clerk’s Office ‐ 4.6 years, Superior Court ‐ 5.71 years, and Probation ‐ 7.63 years of service. STAFFING     Two new judicial officers and 22 new hires, of which 8 were in the Clerk’s Office, 4 in Juvenile Detention, 4 in Probation and 6 in the Superior Court. Thirty employee separations, of which 7 were in the Clerk’s Office, 5 in Juvenile Detention, 10 in Probation, and 8 in the Superior Court. Of the total employee separations, 18 were voluntary and 12 were involuntary. The involuntary separations included 4 original probationary dismissals, 2 regular status dismissals, 3 end of at‐will appointments, 1 layoff, 1 medical separation, and 1 deceased employee. The voluntary separations included 6 employees who relocated, 5 employees who left for other employment, 3 employees who went back to school, 2 employees who retired, 1 employee who went onto retirement disability and 1 dissatisfied employee. During 2009, 7 employees received promotions, 2 employees were reappointed, 17 were reassigned and 1 employee was voluntarily demoted. In 2009, the recruitment and selection process took on average a total of 31 days to fill a vacant position. The average number of days that court positions remained vacant was 27 days. The Superior Court processed a total of 361 job applications in 2009. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS     Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): The Superior Court has no outstanding EEOC charges pending and no complaints of unlawful discrimination were filed by employees with the EEOC in 2009. Internal Investigations: One anonymous employee complaint was received by the Superior Court in 2009. The Court responded to the complaint by conducting an investigation using an external investigator from the Administrative Office of the Courts. Judicial Merit Commission: Human Resources provided administrative support to the Judicial Merit Commission for three regularly scheduled meetings. Training: Three Judicial New Employee Orientation Programs, one Preventing Sexual Harassment class and one FMLA and Military Leave Rules classes were provided. 17 COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 15th ANNUAL COURT AND PROBATION CONFERENCE The conference was held January 12 & 13, and began with a plenary session for all court and probation employees, held in the BOS Auditorium of the Mohave County Administration Building. Our plenary speaker, Ms. Toni McClory, Residential Political Science Faculty, Glendale Community College, spoke to 180 staff members about the Arizona Constitution at 100: Why it Still Matters. Also part of the plenary session is the presenting of annual service and recognition awards to employees as well as a summary of the accomplishments for the year. The awards were presented by Presiding Judge Randolph A. Bartlett. “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” RECOGNITION AWARD RECIPIENTS Superior Court: Lorrie Back, Caseflow Manager Probation: Bridget Long, Deputy Probation Officer Senior Bullhead City Justice Court: Daniel Meister, Court Services Assistant Bullhead City Municipal Court: Barry Kudera, Court Manager Clerk of the Superior Court: Christina Cornman, Court Services Assistant TEAM AWARD RECIPIENT Infant/Toddler Mental Health Team: Tonya Ford, Court Team Mental Health Coordinator Kip Anderson, Superior Court Administrator Lorrie Back, Superior Court Caseflow Manager SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS TWENTY‐FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE: Alan Chamberlain TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE: Cindy Bracy, Diann Lee, Art Mayo TEN YEARS OF SERVICE: Katherine Barhydt, Judy Diaz, Pamila Gonzales, Elaine Grissom, Kathy Matson, Bunnie Morey, Tara Newman, Sue Ulrich and Arlyn Valentine FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE: Jeri Bundy, Norma DeLong, Joette Engan, Susan Fellows, Travis Heaton, Angela Jackson, Hon. Mitchell Kalauli, J.J. Klein, Hon. Richard Lambert, Peggy McCoy, Daniel Meister, Stacy McClellan, Crystal Richards, Alicia Richardson, Sue Saunders, Kyle Smtih, John Somma, Bob Stefick and Dianna Waller. CONFERENCE Eighteen different classes were offered as break‐out sessions during the conference. All classes were held on the Kingman campus of Mohave Community College. Most of the instructors were local, either court employees or local attorneys. The court is sensitive to the current economic crisis and limited fiscal resources. In the past, the court has paid for professional speakers for the plenary session. This year the court was able to locate a speaker at no cost. This saved a great deal of money compared with past conferences. Thus, the court was able to provide high quality training to judicial employees locally, saving the travel, lodging and registration fees associated with sending employees out of the county to obtain their required 8 hours of COJET training. 18 LAW LIBRARY BOOKS The Law Library offers a wide variety of books, texts and brochures available for review at the library only. Some include Arizona and local codes, handbooks, opinions, statutes and jury instructions. The library also has many Regional and Federal Digests, Journals, Reporters, Supreme Court Reports, Criminal Procedure Manuals and Water Right Case studies. COMPUTER ACCESS The Library has one computer available for use by the public. This computer has restricted Internet access with view‐only capabilities. Also offered to the public is on‐line access to Westlaw. E‐MAIL The Librarian can be reached at llinn@courts.az.gov . Many of the self‐help packets, forms, etc., are available to be sent to patrons via their email address. ON‐LINE COURT FORMS Many Superior Court forms are available on‐line through the Superior Court website at www.mohavecourts.com. To locate a form, go to: www.mohavecourts.com > Court Forms > Mohave County Superior Court Forms > then search for a specific topic. New forms are being added continually and the goal is to have all forms available on‐line, as well as through the Law Library in the near future. OUR WEBSITE www.mohavecourts.com > Court Administration > Law Library Law Library Service Statistics by Month Month/Year January '09 February '09 March '09 April '09 May '09 June '09 July '09 August '09 September '09 October '09 November '09 December '09 Public (Any Public) 349 292 399 356 328 387 414 426 384 388 383 330 Public with Forms (Sub of Column 1) 215 144 200 153 162 152 171 175 163 156 158 131 19 Other Users (Attnys, Judges, etc) 19 22 21 33 20 21 28 27 22 21 13 21 Total (Column 1+3) 368 314 420 389 348 408 442 453 406 409 396 351 JUSTICE COURTS HIGHLIGHTS PHOTO ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM In September 2008, the photo enforcement system was implemented by the State. In 2009, the Mohave County Justice Courts began receiving photo enforcement citations increasing the number of cases being processed by the Justice Courts. CIVIL SELF HELP WEBSITE In an ongoing effort to provide access to services and information to court users, the Mohave County Justice Courts created the Justice Courts Self Service website. The site provides general information on civil, small claims, protective orders, evictions, garnishments and collection of judgments. Standardized court forms for civil actions as well as instructions on how to fill them out is also available. MOCCASIN JUSTICE COURT FACILITY The Mohave County Board of Supervisors selected a site for the new Moccasin Justice Court. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2010. ON‐LINE PAYMENTS Kingman/Cerbat Justice Court served as a pilot court for the payment of civil traffic citations via the internet. This allows year‐round availability to the public to pay their civil traffic citations on‐line 24 hours a day, 7 seven days a week. This service will be expanded to all of the Mohave County Justice Courts in 2010. Access to the site is found on the Courts webpage, www.mohavecourts.com.   20 JUSTICE COURTS Justice Court Case Activity, 2008 – 2009 New Case Filings Case Type 2008 1,296 118 3,536 4,950 2009 1,308 94 3,791 5,193 % Change 0.9% ‐20.3% 7.2% 4.9% Civil Traffic 24,415 22,863 ‐6.4% Misdemeanor (includes FTA) Felony TOTAL MISDEMEANOR & FELONY 8,381 2,956 11,337 7,307 2,791 10,098 ‐12.8% ‐5.6% ‐10.9% 979 1,227 4,005 685 729 7,625 907 913 4,124 664 623 7,231 ‐7.4% ‐25.6% 3.0% ‐3.1% ‐14.5% ‐5.2% 1 3,116 48,328 48,501 0.4% 44 14 132 2 534 1 710 17 37 39 177 1 324 0 538 40 ‐15.9% 178.6% 34.1% ‐50.0% ‐39.3% DUI Serious Traffic Other Criminal Traffic TOTAL CRIMINAL TRAFFIC Small Claims Forcible Detainer Other Civil Orders of Protection Injunctions Against Harassment TOTAL CIVIL Civil Traffic (Photo Enforcement)* TOTAL NEW CASE FILINGS Trials Commenced Criminal Traffic (Non‐Jury) Criminal Traffic (Jury) Misdemeanor (Non‐Jury) Misdemeanor (Jury) Civil (Non‐Jury) Civil (Jury) TOTAL NON‐JURY TRIALS TOTAL JURY TRIALS *Photo Enforcement Implemented September 2008 21 ‐24.2% 135.3% JUSTICE COURTS Justice Court Case Activity, 2008 – 2009 Total Cases Terminated Case Type 2008 1,204 71 3,097 4,372 2009 1,172 61 3,650 4,883 % Change ‐2.7% ‐14.1% 17.9% 11.7% Civil Traffic 25,699 26,579 3.4% Misdemeanor (includes FTA) Felony TOTAL MISDEMEANOR & FELONY 7,170 2,848 10,018 7,025 2,801 9,826 ‐2.0% ‐1.7% ‐1.9% 766 1,068 3,235 539 123 565 159 6,455 954 768 4,561 545 106 455 160 7,549 24.5% ‐28.1% 41.0% 1.1% ‐13.8% ‐19.5% 0.6% 16.9% 0 1,953 46,544 50,790 9.1% 245 624 187 268 9 240 761 177 200 14 ‐2.0% 22.0% ‐5.3% ‐25.4% 55.6% DUI Serious Traffic Other Criminal Traffic TOTAL CRIMINAL TRAFFIC Small Claims Forcible Detainer Other Civil Orders of Protection Issued Orders of Protection Denied Injunctions Against Harassment Issued Injunctions Against Harassment Denied TOTAL CIVIL Civil Traffic (Photo Enforcement)* TOTAL CASE TERMINATIONS Other Proceedings Small Claims Hearings/Defaults Civil Traffic Hearings Order of Protection/IAH Hearings Search Warrants Issued Preliminary Hearings *Photo Enforcement Implemented September 2008 22 CLERK OF THE SUPERIOR COURT The Clerk of the Court is an elected official who serves as the official record‐keeper for the Superior Court. Primary functions include providing public access to records; receiving and processing court documents; collecting and disbursing court‐ordered fees, fines and victim restitution; processing passport applications; and issuing and recording marriage licenses. CASE MANAGEMENT/PUBLIC ACCESS The Clerk’s Office processed approximately 300,000 documents in 2009, in the various case types of criminal, civil, family law, juvenile, probate, guardianship, and conservatorship. February saw the rollout of the Clerk’s new case management system. AJACS (Arizona Judicial Automated Case System) was on a scheduled rollout to 13 of the 15 counties in Arizona throughout 2009. The last three counties will be assimilated into the system in mid‐2010. As with any new computer system, there have been challenges associated with the product, but the Clerk’s Office remains committed to providing fast and accurate information, assistance in data retrieval, and data access for our internal and external customers. Because of data discrepancies within this new system, the Clerk’s Office was forced to go off‐line with its public access for most of the year. We went back on‐line in December, 2009. We continue to monitor the records published on public access for accuracy and to assure confidentiality. The Clerk’s website has more than 500 commonly requested court forms available for downloading. These forms are monitored for updating purposes and we add new forms as needed. See the link below for access to our website. MARRIAGE LICENSES During 2009, we issued 1,180 marriage licenses in our Kingman, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City offices and through our website application process. The number of licenses issued has declined in recent years, from the 1,566 issued in 2007 and the 1,343 issued in 2008. PASSPORTS The changes in federal law relating to travel restrictions, requiring a passport to travel to Canada and Mexico, resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of passport applications processed by our Kingman, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City offices. In 2007, applications numbered 3,210 in our three locations. Applications leveled off by 2009, with our offices processing a total of 2,286 applications in 2008 and 2,256 in 2009. RECORDS RETENTION/ARCHIVING As the custodian of the public record, a big part of our time is spent opening case files, processing filed documents, preparing documents and files for court hearings, processing hearing minutes, and maintaining file integrity for review by judicial officers and the general public. In addition to current file maintenance, we have been engaged in an ongoing project to convert our microfiche to electronic images. This is an aggressive and innovative project undertaken by only a few clerks’ offices across the country. The project involves converting nearly a million microfiche images from some 200,000 cases that have been stored in traditional plastic jackets over the past 50+ years. The advent of, and ever‐ changing advances in, computer technologies has allowed us to find better and more efficient ways to preserve the public record and historical data. 23 RESTITUTION COLLECTIONS The Clerk’s Office is charged with the collection and disbursement of fees, fines and victim restitution assessed in criminal and juvenile matters. Financial clerks monitor court ordered assessments, process and record restitution orders and judgments, and assist defendants and victims with their questions and concerns. During 2009, the office received and processed approximately $600,000.00 in restitution payments. JURY SERVICES In the role of Jury Commissioner, the Clerk is responsible for providing jury services for the eight Superior Court divisions in Mohave County. When notified that a jury is needed for trial, the jury clerk enters the number of requested jurors and the computer randomly selects the required number of prospective jurors. These jurors are then summoned for the date and time requested by the Court. The jury clerk maintains the jury pool not only for the Superior Court but for the municipal and justice courts as well. She also responds to a heavy volume of telephone and email requests for assistance, maintains the online jury link that informs summoned jurors as to trial status, checks in the jury panel on the day of trial, and prepares and mails juror payroll checks on a weekly basis. In 2009, 8,036 prospective jurors were summoned for 74 criminal and two civil trials. For more information on services offered by the Clerk of the Superior Court, please log on to http://mohavecourts.com. 24