Achieving Excellence Through Innovation and Teamwork Superior and Justice Courts Adult and Juvenile Probation Fiscal Year 2014 Mohave County Courts strive to improve service to the public through enhanced court procedures and through the implementation of new court programs designed to provide better access and innovative solutions. One of the highlights this past year has been the expansion of the therapeutic courts. Such courts help individuals reduce the cycle of relapse and recidivism. The Drug Court Programs in both the juvenile and adult areas have experienced substantial growth and many individuals have graduated from the programs moving away from past criminal behavior and embracing the goals of public safety and individual development. Additionally, this past year the Lake Havasu City Consolidated Court established a Veteran’s Treatment Court. Elements of the program include medical/mental health resources, peer support services, housing and job support designed to motivate and ensure access for justice-involved veterans. This new program has received great support from justice partners and members of the community, and efforts are being made to expand the program to other courts throughout the county. The Court continues to look for ways to enhance services and make information more accessible for individuals within the community. The completion of a new courtroom, Division 7, in Lake Havasu City is a big step forward in ensuring access to individuals in our community. Additionally, with an increasing and more diverse population, court dockets have become more challenging and concerted efforts have been made to ensure access for all individuals including those with limited English proficiency. At the same time, the courts’ financial resources continue to be stretched to the limits. To help meet this challenge of diminished resources and increasing responsibilities, the court continues to enhance online services as referenced in the report. The Court Leadership, with the assistance of the National Center for State Courts, formulated an updated Strategic Plan in January of this year. The Strategic Plan highlights the Courts’ mission of “Delivering timely justice in an impartial, innovative, and professional manner.” Goals for the coming years are laid out in five strategic pillars. Individual action steps are identified and lay the groundwork to achieve the ambitious but realistic goals the Court has established. Strategic teams are hard at work identifying ways to serve the public, deliver timely justice, improve court facilities and develop/enhance the skills of court staff. The National Center for State Courts identified the Mohave County Courts as high performing. This designation is underscored by the numerous projects and accomplishments of the court as set forth in the Annual Report. These enhanced court services could not have been accomplished without the hard working, dedicated and professional; Judges, court staff and volunteers. The Courts sincerely extend their gratitude and appreciation to the Arizona Supreme Court, the Administrative Offices of the Courts, the National Center for State Court, the County Board of Supervisors and County Management. Many of the Courts’ accomplishments would not have been realized without the aid and support provided by these entities. Thank you. Honorable Charles W. Gurtler Jr. Presiding Judge Strategic Plan 1 Court Security Community Outreach 2 Court Appointed Special Advocate 9 Infant Toddler Team 10 3 Human Resources 11 Superior Court Clerk 4 Justice Courts 13 Court Technology Services 5 Mediation/ Conciliation Court 14 Probation- Adult 15 COJET 7 Probation- Juvenile 16 Law Library 8   STRATEGIC PLAN – Achieving Excellence Through Innovation and Teamwork During this past year the Mohave County Courts including the Probation Department completed work on a new Strategic Plan. This plan continues to build on the progressive work of the past 5 years with the goal of realizing our mission of Delivering timely justice in an impartial, innovative, and professional manner. The Court is excited to implement the action items listed under the 5 “Strategic Pillars” that are included in our new plan. The 5 pillars are: I. II. Serving the Public Delivering Timely Justice III. Court Access, Facilities and Infrastructure IV. Engaged Staff V. Community Collaboration and Outreach   Documenting a strategic direction is particularly important at this time as we continue to be faced with tight financial conditions. However, as we continue to focus on improving our processes and ensuring we effectively utilize the resources we have available to us – we believe we can accomplish the goals laid out in the 5 Strategic Pillars and Action Steps outlined in our strategic plan. We believe these action items will help us to continue to move the courts forward in improving customer service and enhancing our ability to serve the public and our community. The Court’s strategic plan is available on the Court’s webpage at www.mohavecourts.az.gov    In April of this year the Court was pleased to have the Arizona Supreme Court Justices attend the dedication of a new courtroom in the Lake Havasu City Judicial facility. During the dedicatory ceremony Chief Justice Berch commented on the wonderful facilities that had been built and stressed the importance of providing increased access to the local citizens and the people of Arizona. Presiding Judge Charles Gurtler and Judge Rick Lambert also expressed appreciation for the new courtroom and the collaboration and support of the County in the successful completion of the courtroom. This new courtroom now allows the court to have two Superior Court Judges working full-time in Lake Havasu City. In conjunction with the dedication of the new courtroom, Vice Chief Justice Scott Bales also attended two local meetings with the Chamber of Commerce and local Rotary associations. At those meetings Vice Chief Justice Bales stressed the need for the Court to continue to look for ways to improve access to members of the community and to identify ways to simplify things and provide judges with the tools they need to serve the local communities. He praised the Mohave County courts as a great example of how courts in the State are improving access through online forms and providing more resources for pro se litigants. In addition to these events the Supreme Court Justices held oral arguments at the Lake Havasu City High School on April 29, 2014. High School students and community members throughout Mohave County were invited to attend and learn more about the judicial process. At the conclusion of the oral arguments the Justices provided some brief remarks about the procedures they follow and then students and attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of the Justices. As more and more cases of child abuse and neglect continue to flow into our overburdened child protective system, the risk of children becoming lost in the system escalates. However, the CASA program continues to get the word out regarding the plight of the children in care and the need for help in this area. Major Accomplishments Radio talk show with the CASA Coordinator and a CASA Council member. Newspaper articles highlighting the CASA Program and what the CASA Volunteer does. The CASA Program is now on Pinterest, as well as linked on the CASA Council Website. The program successfully recruited 12 new CASA Volunteers. While recruiting new volunteers is important, retention and training of these CASA volunteers is equally important. Mohave County CASA volunteers have been able to gain more knowledge not only from the CASA Program but also from being made aware of various trainings that are offered throughout the County as well. This past year many of our CASA volunteers were acknowledged, and commended for their hard work while advocating in court for their CASA kids by not only the Judge, but by the Attorney’s, CPS case managers, and the parents as well. The CASA Program held a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon in honor of our CASA Volunteers hard work and dedication to the kids in care. Three CASA Volunteers were chosen CASA of the Year for their unceasing commitment to improving the lives of the children of Mohave County. Carol Turney - Kingman, Julianne Soffee - Lake Havasu City and Beverly Siemens - Bullhead City were awarded plaques in recognition of their service. Judge Weiss and Judge Lambert presented all the volunteers with certificates for their hard work and commitment to Mohave County’s abused and neglected children. FARE (Fines, Fees and Restitution Enforcement)  In Fiscal Year 2014 the Clerk’s office entered over 4,100 cases into FARE which was an increase of 1,600 from last fiscal year. Monies Collected    During the 2014 fiscal year, nearly $4.2 million dollars passed through the Clerk’s Office and this included approximately $708,000 in restitution to victims. Office staff also worked very diligently to verify and enter individuals with outstanding monies owed into the Arizona State Tax Intercept Program (TIP). As a result, over $142,000 was intercepted. Implemented a new counter and online credit/debit card payment system which is anticipated to save the General Fund budget approximately $20,000 over the next fiscal year. Jury Service   During this past fiscal year 58 jury trials were conducted and over 34% ($88,755) less funds were utilized in the payment of jurors. An online juror questionnaire was developed and implemented as well as a court-produced video featured on our webpage which walks the public through the process of jury service in the Superior Court in Mohave County. Case Filings by Case Type  There was an average 4% increase in all case filings aside from Juvenile, which experienced a 1% decrease. Case Filings by Case Type Civil- 1,968 Probate- 816 2014 Juvenile- 1,066 2012 Criminal- 1,910 2010 Family Law- 1,984 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Administration- 3,177  The Court Technology Services department is continuing to increase services and functionality to the departments within the Mohave County Court family as well as the citizens of Mohave County. We are accomplishing this task by continuing to match innovated ideas with new technology and skillful resources. Fiscal year 2014 highlights this ability in a number of ways. Expanding Court Services to the Community:  Non-English speaking guidance through the Court system: ◦ ◦ With the assistance of the Administrative Office of the Courts and several other vendors, Mohave County Superior Court was presented with an opportunity to pilot a partially grant funded video system to provide simultaneous remote interpretation directly into a high profile courtroom, eliminating the travel cost of an interpreter, saving the Courts money in current and future court hearings. In addition, this grant allowed us the opportunity to install video systems in all Probation Departments around the County, providing them with the functionality to effectively communicate with non-English speaking probationers. One of the major accomplishments achieved by CTS this fiscal year was a complete redesign of the MohaveCourts.az.gov web site. This redesign focused on bringing to the surface our most active pages as well as a new service devoted to our non-English speaking customers. As a result, we have integrated a front-page portal to our Spanish services as well as provided the ability for the user to translate any page on the web site to over 90 languages.  Other community services provided: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Expanded our online payment process to include the Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Developed an application to support the Veteran’s Court in Lake Havasu City. Notifying parties of upcoming payments due via an automated email. Developed preliminary on-line parenting class to enhance mediation services.  Improving Internal Court Processes and Procedures: ◦ CTS has been heavily involved with many projects within the year to streamline procedures and improve processes.  Application development / process improvement: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Completed the design and development of a child progress and placement system for the Infant & Toddler / Mental Health Team. Design and development of an Adult Probation Application devoted to track probationers’ progress. Design and development of a Veteran’s Court Treatment Application to track Veterans through the specialty Veteran’s Court process. Installed equipment in Kingman, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City to provide the Probation Department with the necessary tools to establish certified GED testing locations Rolled out a pilot program to equip Probation Officers with tablet PC’s to allow them to create and send documents directly from within the courtroom. Installed the necessary equipment to expand the Initial Appearance process in the courtroom at the Kingman Jail. This process eliminated the need to transport prisoners to the Kingman Superior Courthouse for specific events. Created a process in which law enforcement agencies, as well as the Courts, are automatically notified if a person is scheduled to appear for a court hearing has a warrant out of any other court jurisdiction. Expanded Video Surveillance Systems in the Kingman Detention Facility. Automated Bullhead City Municipal and Bullhead City Justice Courts statistical reporting processes.  Business Continuity: CTS completed the following tasks: ◦ Disaster recovery network lines were installed and failover tests performed. ◦ File backup systems have been revamped to duplicate user files, databases and systems to multiple locations throughout the county in near real time of file update or creation. ◦ Additional Backup Domain Controllers have been configured and deployed throughout the County. ◦ High profile criminal courtrooms have been placed on backup generator power to allow the court to conduct business in the Kingman Superior Courthouse during an extended power outage if the facility’s conditions allow.   The Mohave COJET (Committee on Judicial Education and Training) provided educational opportunities for court and probation employees via two training conferences. The 19th Annual Mohave County Court and Probation Conference was held February 2628, 2014 in Kingman. The two and a half day conference included an opening plenary session, a judicial employee recognition awards program and an update on accomplishments of the Mohave County Courts in 2013/2014. “Making a Difference” Award Recipients Individual Recognition Award •Linda Cantrell, Superior Court •Ashley Carter, Probation •Elizabeth Kuchen, Clerk of Superior Court Supervisor of the Year Award •Christina Spurlock, Clerk of Superior Court Team Recognition Award •LHC Drug Court Team- Hon. Rick Lambert, Hon. Jill Davis and Ashley Carter    The opening plenary session was a program titled “Everything You Do Either Promotes or Pollutes”. Participants were charged with examining their communication styles in an effort to alter their style to one that promotes positive communication, innovation, and teamwork. Following the opening session, twenty-four break-out classes were held and included: Bond Processing in AZTEC; Computer Security Awareness; Criminal Defense – Start to Finish; Dealing with Difficult People; Language Access – Principles and Practice; and The Importance of Serving the Pro Se Client. While a few instructors had to travel from out of the area, cost savings for the conference were realized through the use of local facilities and instructors. Local instructors included private attorneys, detectives from the gang and drug task forces, and several Mohave County employees. Over 170 court and probation employees, including participants from Marana and La Paz County courts, enjoyed classes at the conference. A total of 1,831 hours of training was obtained during the Conference. The more informal 2014 Summer COJET Conference was held June 25-27, 2014 during the annual Judicial Conference. Classes were held in Kingman, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City. Participants were able to choose from a variety of classes and a total of 452.5 training hours were completed. “Every citizen has a fundamental right to judicial access, and, open, reliable access to legal information and knowledge is an essential element of that right.”      The Mohave County Superior Court Law Library is an integral part of the judicial system. It improves vital access to justice by offering court forms, instructions and legal research assistance. The Law Library is located in the Kingman Superior Courthouse at 401 E. Spring Street in Kingman and can be reached via telephone at (928) 753-0790 X4044 or via e-mail at llinn@courts.az.gov. The library is open to the public. Hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, excluding court holidays. For patrons who are unable to personally visit the library, resources are made available via telephone, email, fax and regular mail. During the 2014 fiscal year, the Law Library staff provided legal research assistance to 4,421 patrons. This assistance was provided via telephone, email, online chat and in person. Staff responded to requests from judicial officers, attorneys, court administration, government agencies, inmates and other public users. Members of the general public made up the vast majority of those served with approximately 95% of requests being received from public users. The online chat feature, implemented in FY12, continues to give patrons the ability to communicate directly with the courts via the Law Librarian. Over 150 self-help forms and packets, informational pamphlets, Arizona statutes and court rules, self-help books, various legal texts and resource materials, and Westlaw are also available to assist patrons in addressing their concerns. The Law Library prides itself on being user friendly, accessible and responsive to the needs of the community. Please visit the Law Library’s website at:  http://www.mohavecourts.com/CourtAdmin/LawLib/lawlib.htm The Court Security Manager:         Provided daily oversight during the construction of the new Division 7 courtroom enhancements. These enhancements/planning solutions included: adding duress alarms throughout the building; installation of additional CCTV cameras; and review of the prisoner sally port and holding cells. Continues to chair the Statewide Court Security Committee with ongoing efforts to develop standards and procedures for implementation throughout the state. Additionally he is a member of Statewide Courts Wireless Technology Committee that developed policies regarding the use of those technologies in courts. Provided input and direction to the county risk management staff to finalize the development of "Emergency Action Plan" flip charts for all court facilities. This included a joint partnership with county staff for the Lake Havasu City Complex. Provided seventeen CPR training classes for Probation staff and completed one Health Care Provider CPR class for the Public Health Nursing staff. Worked with risk management staff to complete a joint vulnerability assessment of the county complex at Lake Havasu City. Provides ongoing management review of the part-time bailiff staff and training for four new oncall staff members. Partnered with County Risk Management to transport and install an x-ray machine for security screening at the North Canyon Consolidated Court. Coordinated with the Arizona Supreme Court Security Staff and the Lake Havasu City Police Department to provide security for the Supreme Court oral arguments that were held at the Lake Havasu City High School in April, 2014.  Professional Development: The 3rd Annual Northern Arizona Symposium took place in Laughlin, Nevada over two-days. Fifteen nationally recognized professionals provided topics on a variety of subjects to improve skills in working with young children in the court system. One of the presenters was David Mandel, the creator and founder of the Safe and Together Model. The model is a perpetrator pattern based, child centered, survivor strengths approach to domestic violence. Stemming from this presentation several professionals from Mohave County as well as officials from the State of Arizona’s Department of Child Safety took much interest in his work.    Monthly MCCAT trainings included: Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence; Dr. Linda Peterson-St. Pierre of UNR School of Medicine presented information on children in distress; Dr. Lawrence Sideman of Argosy University in Phoenix presented on psychological evaluations related to child welfare cases; Kimberly Craig of Community Bridges in Maricopa County presented information on substance abusing parents; and Rebecca Ruffner, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona gave a one-day presentation on the Best for Babies initiative. Our team maintains bi-monthly Steering Committee meeting which directs efforts in areas where support is most critical. We evaluate current systems, identify gaps, and build on strengths. We worked closely with a number of agency representatives and sponsored attendance at the: National Zero to Three Conference, National CASA Conference, Best for Babies Conference, Sally Campbell Seminar, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children 22nd Annual Colloquium, and National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. Additionally, the Nurturing Father’s class was offered to biological and father figures of children in foster care. This was a thirteen week session which was repeated three times during the year. Collaboration: During the course of the year, 1,210 individuals, professionals and parents, received educational benefit or skills training in the areas of child development, domestic violence, law, foster care, drug and alcohol prevention, and abuse counseling. Highlights ∞ Superior Court Human Resources transitioned to an online recruiting system, NEOGOV. Applicants may now complete and submit applications online. Openings with the Superior Court are advertised on governmentjobs.com, which has increased the number of applications received. ∞ Additionally, the department transitioned to a new Human Resource Information System, MUNIS. MUNIS has reduced redundant data entry, generation, and distribution of paperwork. Since MUNIS allows for automated workflows and electronic notifications, processes, which were previously performed manually, are now completed electronically reducing staff time and resources. ∞ Superior Court Human Resources continues to offer free training and development classes as part of our on-going commitment to continuous improvement. Approximately 40 judicial new hires from throughout the Mohave County Judiciary attended the Mohave County Judicial New Employee Orientation program. ∞ Staff processed 31 new employees, 5 promotions, 3 reappointments, 2 demotions, and 18 lateral reassignments. 25 employees left Superior Court employment in FY 2014, 4 from the Clerk of the Superior Court, 15 from Probation and 6 from Superior Court. 15 Separations 6 FY-14 As of June 30, 2014, the average judicial employee length of service for Superior Court employees was: Clerk's Office 7 4 Annual turnover in FY 2014 was 13.4%, an increase of 1.6% from the previous FY 2013 turnover rate of 11.8%. 12 Superior Court 3 Probation FY-13 Length of Service  Twelve employees with more than 21 years of service.  Eighteen employees with 16-20 years of service.  Sixteen employees with 11-15 years of service.  Sixty-one employees with 5-10 years of service.  Sixty-seven employees with less than 5 years of service. 21+ yrs 16-20 yrs 39% 7% 10% 9% 11-15 yrs 5-10 yrs >5 yrs 35% Manpower Kingman Bullhead City Lake Havasu City Colorado City 1% 23% 23% 73% Location Division Probation 5% 18% 23% Clerks Office Superior Court Judges 54% FARE (Fines, Fees and Restitution Enforcement)  In FY-14 the Justice Courts collected $1,920,458 through the FARE Program. Monies Collected  During the past year, nearly $6.5million dollars passed through the Justice Courts, this included approximately $81,855 through the Tax Intercept Program (TIP). ADRS (Arizona Disposition Reporting System)  The courts have implemented this system which is an interface with the Department of Public Safety that allows the courts to enter criminal disposition information directly into the Arizona Criminal History Reporting System. Veterans Court  Lake Havasu City Consolidated Courts held its first graduation of two veterans in September 2014. Upon completion of the program, depending on the sentencing options used by the Court, cases are either dismissed or reduced. The Veterans Court is a problem solving court that is intended to serve veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness and/or reoccurring disorders. The court promotes sobriety, recovery and stability through a coordinated response that involves cooperation and collaboration with the City Prosecutor, County Attorney, Defense Counsel and the Veterans Administration to give each participant the opportunity to be a productive healthy Veteran and citizen. Lake Havasu City’s first specialized Veterans Court calendar was held in November 2013. There are currently over 40 veterans in the program. Case Filings by Case Type Civil- 6,241 Search Warrant- 287 2014 Misdemeanor- 2,525 Felony- 2,487 2013 Criminal Traffic- 1,740 0 15000 20000 5000 10000 Civil Traffic- 12,324 The Mohave County Conciliation Court program assists all parents, third party participants, grandparent visitation applicants and the court in developing parenting plans. Additionally, reunification planning for a formally absent parent is provided. All services are ongoing until the children are no longer minors or the assignment is otherwise terminated by the Court. The Conciliation Court staff conducts mandatory Parent Education Classes that provide information on child development needs, communication skills and prepares the parties for the mediation process. High conflict parenting classes are held bimonthly with attendance being mandatory after referral by the Court. The Conciliation Court staff and the Court Technology department have been working on the creation of an on-line parent education class that offers more flexibility and availability for participants in complying with the Court orders. COUNSELING During this year, there were 5 conciliation counseling cases referred to the department and a total of 8 sessions provided to the parties. Parent Education • 38 Classes • Of the 639 Attendees 27% reported Domestic Violence DIVORCE/LEGAL DECISION MAKING MEDIATION There were a total of 603 mediation appointments scheduled for the year, however due to re-scheduling, dismissals, cancellations, parties’ failure to appear, and the Court vacating, 458 actual mediations were conducted. Dependency Case Facilitation • 223 Dependency Mediations Held High Conflict Classes • 7 Classes • 34% of the Attendees reported Domestic Violence Type of Agreement Complete- 178 Partial- 61 Not Signed- 114 Irreconcilable- 105 23% 25% 14% 38% 1,200 Restitution Collected_ $798,791 1,200,000 1,000 Standard Probation1173 1,000,000 Probation Fees Collected$458,189 800,000 800 IPS Population- 36 Fines, Fees, and Surcharges600 Collected- $1,007,689 600,000 400,000 Reimbursement Collected- Indirect Services- 487 400 Absconders from $97,614 200,000 Probation Supervision674 New Standard Cases- 891 200 Hours of CRS Completed- 0 Probation Outcomes 25,257 0 Probation Populations Accomplishments Adult Court Liaison Probation Officer established within Superior Courthouse in Kingman Implementation of the Pretrial Release Program, a Pilot Program in partnership with AOC and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation Adult Presentence Investigation (PSI): 1,079 PSI’s completed, an average of 30 a month per PSI writer. 43 of which were considered to be a Combination Report. 391 reports of violation of probation were completed. The Adult Drug Court, had 11 graduates and a total of 76 probationers screened, 55 of which were accepted into the program. Currently 36 are enrolled in the program. Probationers reinstated to Probation- 101 Adult MRT expands, total of 5 groups countywide EPICS II Training began for the Adult Division Partnerships with Crossover Youth Practice Model Department wide MI training implemented ACCOMPLISHMENTS: To date, 154 probation youth have earned their GED through our GED Testing Center. 18 youth participated in the Summer Youth Employment Program through WIA known as the COYOTE Program. Began process to become an EBP Certified Court. Currently Participating in the Crossover Youth Practice Model. Hosted 2nd Annual Juvenile Drug Court (JDC) Retreat in LHC in May for all JDC team members. Delinquency petitions filed Committed to ADJC- 23 Direct Transfer to Adult- 4 Intensive- 59 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Standard- 243 Referrals Incorrigible- 268 Delinquency- 1566 Drug Court 0 500 1000 1500 2000 Accepted, Diversions Screened, 68 Graduates12 0 100 Completed Diversions- 255 200 300 Intake Interviews- 339 Early 400 14 12 10 Termination9 New Drug or Alcohol Referral- 3 8 6 4 Received New 2 Referral- 9 0 52 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Hosted “Kids at Hope” Training for all educational and juvenile staff. Obtained a Juvenile Crime Reduction Fund (JCRF) Grant to fund a Job Developer Position to locate employment for 15 youth. Obtained a Juvenile Crime Reduction Fund (JCRF) Grant to fund 18 COYOTE positions for next summer. Obtained a Juvenile Accountability Block (JAB) Grant to fund Project RISE – Reward and Inform through Seminars that Educate. Juvenile fees collected Juvenile Treatment Fees- $11,508 Probation Fees- $80,581 Diversion Fees- $16,450 Detention Fees- $28,625 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 Detention 562 Juveniles were detained, an average of 12.9 days. The daily average of juveniles detained was 19 per day. Programs Provided 7,786 hours of Community Restitution Service (CRS) 29 juveniles received a GED. 33 teens participated in teen court 180 teens participated in the teen law school. Committed Offenses 600 Public Peace- 481 Status Offenses- 268 Theft- 268 500 400 Drugs- 180 Obstruction- 218 Fights- 134 300 200 Felony against Property- 100 100 Violent Felony- 41 0