A State Justice Institute Grant was secured by Commission staff to develop resource materials and educational programs for judicial officers and court staff. Work on this project began in 2010 and will be completed in 2012. Ultimately we hope that judicial officers will benefit from training focused on determining when and how cultural attributes might be helpful in shaping appropriate responses.
The Challenges of Serving Immigrants in the Washington Courts of Limited Jurisdiction was sponsored by the commission at the 2010 District and Municipal Court Judges' Spring Conference and focused on the legal consequences of conviction for immigrant defendants and their families as well as the role of judges in ensuring immigrant defendants are adequately informed before a change of plea. The presenters included Judge Eileen Kato, Mr. Salvador Mungia, Dr. John Martin, Judge Sara Derr, and Mr. Matt Adams.
The Human Trafficking Task Force which included commission members and staff continued to work in 2007 to develop a model state anti-trafficking law and to identify potential training topics designed to educate judicial officers and court personnel as to the issues related to trafficking.
