Washington Courts: News and Information

New Judicial Branch Award Highlights Innovations that Keep Courts Working and Responsive

November 23, 2020

The Washington State Board for Judicial Administration (BJA) has announced the first recipients of its new Innovating Justice Award, which recognizes leadership during the COVID crisis that promotes judicial branch innovation as well as responsiveness to race equity and access to justice issues.

The recipients of the new award provided leadership in launching task forces, developing unique programs, revamping community services, responding to significant distress and questions about racism in the criminal justice system, and in working relentlessly to maintain both safety and access to justice.

“The judicial branch has faced separate, historic challenges this year related to widespread health dangers and to soul-searching questions about race and justice,” said BJA Co-Chair Judge Gregory Gonzales of Clark County Superior Court. “In response, courts and individuals are working in uncharted waters, innovating and adapting and finding new ways to keep justice operational and responsive. The BJA wanted to recognize these efforts and we look forward to hearing about all of the creative work we don’t know about yet.”

The 2020 recipients of the BJA Innovating Justice Award include:

  • Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens for her wide-ranging and inclusive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as her leadership in responding to nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice. In responding to COVID, Chief Justice Stephens instituted weekly calls with judges and court officials across the state, established a partnership with state health officials, crafted Supreme Court orders on court operations to provide information and guidance to courts, launched the Resumption of Jury Trials Work Group and then the BJA Court Recovery Task Force. In response to nationwide calls for racial justice, Justice Stephens and the members of the Supreme Court quickly issued a statement and call-to-action for courts and judicial branch members to take responsibility for eradicating bias in the judicial system, a rare statement from a sitting court. “Chief Justice Stephens has made racial equity and access to courts a constant lens through which to filter all measures adopted to deal with the immediate COVID crisis and on which to build better processes in the future,” said the letter nominating her for the award. “Her leadership has helped to make racial equity a top priority in all of our work.”

  • Tukwila Municipal Court for reframing its probation department in response to community comments and a concern that the department reflect collaboration and support rather than a punitive nature. Judge Kimberley Walden led the change of the probation department to the Court Support Services office, while changing the titles of probation officers to Case Managers. The Court Support Services office also provides a unique and cost-effective treatment for domestic violence offenders that was recently offered on Zoom in order to maintain the service. “We understand the impact words and the meaning of those words have on people. Judge Walden began to think about Tukwila’s operations, and changes we can make to address the concerns of the public,” said the nominating letter. “We are seeing a different response when a person is told they are being assigned a case manager in our Court Support Services division who will provide assistance and connect them to resources that will ultimately help them to stay in compliance with court orders. Their sense of relief speaks volumes. Now when they meet with their case manager they look forward to goal setting, realistic expectations, mentorship, and compassion. They also understand that consequences for most missteps will be measured and designed to promote positive outcomes.”

  • Benton-Franklin County Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Shea-Brown, for her leadership of the Unlawful Detainer Work Group and its development of a unique new diversion program that requires problem-solving steps and supports in advance of the legal eviction process. Only the third known program of its kind in the nation, the Eviction Resolution Program is designed to help both landlords and tenants and reduce the number of people evicted and facing homelessness, with many of these situations caused by the economic effects of the pandemic. Development of the program involved experts and advocates from many different sectors creating many new elements, and Judge Shea-Brown tirelessly coordinated and supported it all. “Judge Shea-Brown led the disparate interests represented on the Work Group to many consensus agreements, addressing issues both small and large,” said the nominating letter. “Today, judges have been trained, bench cards and related materials produced, and the Eviction Resolution Program is about to go into operation in six pilot counties. None of this could have occurred without Judge Shea-Brown’s steady and consistent leadership.”

  • Walla Walla County Superior Court Judge John W. Lohrmann for his determined outreach to his court’s large percentage of Hispanic court users who need interpreters, to communicate about the COVID closures and pauses, and his quick and extensive actions to make the courthouse and work of the court safe. Judge Lohrmann directed court interpreters to directly contact Hispanic court clients to explain both the changes in court operations and to provide information about COVID itself. If a court user could not be reached, Judge Lohrmann kept the hearing on the docket with interpreters so the court client would not be turned away, and in some cases he went to extensive lengths to explain the nature of COVID and why it was impacting a family’s case. Judge Lohrmann also acted immediately and extensively to install safety equipment and new procedures, and to adjust hearings with nearby Walla Walla State Penitentiary to protect the prisoners, attorneys and court staff from exposure. “Judge Lohrmann, several years ago, had the foresight to embrace technology, [which] enabled us to immediately facilitate Zoom hearings with the necessary large interactive screens and have a printer in the courtroom for exhibits, and to carry on the Court's business remotely almost immediately,” said the nominating letter. “His foresight in this regard has proven to be invaluable in many ways, but certainly, as he is retiring in this year of the pandemic, it has made all the difference in the world to so many, many people who have come before him.”

 

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