Justice Court Judge Demonstrates Effectiveness Of DUI Courts
Posted by Michael in DUI Court, Justice Court, Specialty Courts on March 10th, 2010
LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Township Justice Court Judge Tony Abbatangelo is leading a team from San Diego this week through a series of workshops to assist them in establishing a DUI Court program. Judge Abbatangelo will provide his expertise as an established DUI Court judge to help San Diego focus efforts on the creation of a program that will address the needs of individuals most likely to re-offend.
Abbatangelo is attending the three day workshop in Newport Beach, Calif. to provide assistance and advice to a nine-person team from the San Diego Superior Court. Judge Abbatangelo was recruited by the National Center for DWI Courts and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The San Diego team is made up of a judge, prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers, law enforcement and a DUI Court coordinator. Judge Abbatangelo will share the DUI Court experience in Clark County and provide the San Diego team with the needed tools to establish a new DUI Court. These programs have been proven to save taxpayers money by addressing the core of the individual’s problem which is alcohol addiction or abuse.
“The Las Vegas Justice Court’s two DUI Courts focus on a therapeutic court model to seek a change in behavior and a goal of reducing repeat offenses,” said Judge Abbatangelo. “We have been very successful and now the Las Vegas Justice Court is sharing its experiences and examples of success with other courts.”
DUI Courts address the hardcore drinkers. A driver with a blood alcohol level of .15 or greater is at least 20 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than sober drivers. Judge Abbatangelo uses token compliance gifts to reward and motivate participants to complete the program, which usually takes a year to complete. Attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings twice a week is required of participants in the Las Vegas Justice Court.
Participants doing well in treatment require less court appearances as they complete each phase of treatment. However, if a participant refuses to comply or has a relapse, the Judge can impose sanctions such as ordering the offender to return to House Arrest, writing an essay, community service, or requiring additional daily AA meetings.
All of these motivation and compliance strategies will be shared with the San Diego delegation. The conference continues through Thursday in Newport Beach.
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Eighth Judicial District Court Administrative Order 2010-04
Posted by Michael in Administration, Appeals, Chief Judge, District Court, Justice Court on February 25th, 2010
Chief Judge T. Arthur Ritchie, Jr. has issued Administrative Order 2010-04 assigning the Assignment of Appeals of Writs of Restitution in the Eighth Judicial District Court.
Eighth Judicial District Court Administrative Order 2010-03
Posted by Michael in Administration, Case Flow Management, Civil on February 24th, 2010
Chief Judge T. Arthur Ritchie, Jr. has issued Administrative Order 2010-03 assigning the supervision of Discovery Matters in the Eighth Judicial District Court.
Justice Court Pretrial Services to Reduce Hours of Operation at Jail
Posted by Michael in Administration, Justice Court, Media, News Release on February 22nd, 2010
LAS VEGAS – Starting March 1, 2010, the Las Vegas Township Justice Court’s Pretrial Services Division will be closed between the hours of midnight to 8 a.m. at the Clark County Detention Center. The closure will affect individuals and bail bonding companies who wish to post bail with the Justice Court during the overnight hours.
The closure is a cost-containment decision to allow staff to work more efficiently during the time when the majority of bail has been posted, which historically has been after 8 a.m. in the morning.
Information on inmates incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center can be accessed 24-hours a day, seven days a week, at the following internet link: http://redrock.co.clark.nv.us/ccdcincustory/inCustodySearch.aspx
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Mandatory E-Filing Improves Efficiency for Court Clerk’s Office
Posted by Michael in Administration, Court Clerk, District Court, Family Court, Media, News Release, e-filing on February 18th, 2010
CHALLENGES IN FIRST TWO WEEKS ALSO DELIVER BENEFITS
AT A GLANCE
- Mandatory Electronic Filing has saved the court 125,670 pages of paper in its first two weeks.
- Those pages would have filled 63 banker boxes with paper. In the past, those boxes would have been stored in a file room.
- A total of 6,798 transactions have been processed “no charge” in the Clerk’s Office.
LAS VEGAS – The equivalent of 63 boxes of civil complaints, Family Court documents and miscellaneous filings have been delivered to the Eighth Judicial District Court in the first two weeks of mandatory electronic filing all with the push of a button. In the past, all 125,670 pages of documents would have been hand-stamped, scanned and then filed in boxes for storage. Today, all of these pages are being delivered electronically to the court’s computer system.
“The Court consistently has demonstrated its commitment to efficiencies and long-term cost containment,” said Chief Judge T. Arthur Ritchie, Jr. “This is a massive change in the way we do business and it will revolutionize our courts.”
From February 1 through February 12, 2010, the District Court processed 24,548 civil and family transactions using the court’s e-filing vendor WizNet. A small number, 3,602 transactions, were rejected by the court for various reasons, including a lack of signature or missing documents. A total of 20,946 transactions were accepted for adjudication in the District Court.
The process has required adaption by litigants and the Court Clerk’s Office. The large number of accepted transactions indicates attorneys and law firms are doing a good job of submitting documents correctly to the court, said Civil Presiding Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez.
“We appreciate the willingness of the law firms and attorneys to learn this new system and use it,” said Judge Gonzalez. “Everyone’s patience is appreciated as we continue to strengthen the system and improve our customer service.”
The Court Clerk’s Office has faced a number of challenges in the first two-weeks of e-filing:
- The court has received approximately 3,000 civil filings and 2,500 family filings each day, which is much more than anticipated prior to mandatory e-filing.
- The vast number of filings has slowed the court’s ability to accept and process documents. The wait times are now down to 24 hours for civil case types. It is still taking about a week to process Family and Probate court documents.
- Documents have been rejected because of incorrect case numbers, missing signatures and incorrect document titles. For instance, document titles must be submitted in Title Case Only to be accepted by the system. Double-checking documents first will ensure transactions will be accepted by the court the first time.
The court has processed roughly 70-percent of its documents through WizNet, while roughly 30-percent have been filed in the self-service kiosks at the Court Clerk counters.
“We processed more pro bono, in-kind service and no-charge documents at our Clerk’s counters than most courts process in an entire week,” said Court Executive Officer and Clerk of the Court Steven D. Grierson. “Those documents, totaling 6,798, make up a small percentage of the total 24,548 electronic filings submitted from law offices. We have been very busy accepting new filings, correcting problems and making sure our systems are working as effectively as possible.”
Tips for making the system work better include filing early, including electronic signatures or signed documents and ensuring documents include the correct case numbers. Users are encouraged to call for assistance with the court’s e-filing system: (702) 671-0514 (Civil) or (702) 455-5941 or 455-2357 (Family).
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Las Vegas Township Justice Court Administrative Order 10-01
Posted by Michael in Administration, Chief Judge, Justice Court on February 17th, 2010
Las Vegas Township Justice Court Chief Judge Ann E. Zimmerman has issued Administrative Order 10-01 regarding the assessment of fees for indigent defense in the Las Vegas Township Justice Court.
Tattoo Removal Doctor To Be Honored For Taking Off Gang Tattoos
Posted by Michael in Events, Family Court on January 27th, 2010
It’s a mark of passage, or a message to others. But once you’re out of a gang you just want that tattoo removed. Thanks to Dr. Julio Garcia, 117 former Clark County gang members have seen the marks of their gangs permanently erased.
WHAT: Gang Task Force Citizen’s Award
WHEN: Friday, January 29, 2010, at noon.
WHERE: Fitzgerald’s Hotel and Casino, 12th Floor Banquet Room, 301 Fremont Street.
DETAILS: At noon Friday (Jan. 29) at the Fitzgerald’s Hotel and Casino’s 12th Floor Banquet Room, 301 Fremont Street, Judge William O. Voy will honor Dr. Garcia with the “Gang Task Force Citizen’s Service Award” for his help in removing and erasing the marks of gangs in Clark County.
The tattoo removal program, started in 2006, has provided services for gang involved youth who wish to change their lives but are unable to afford the cost of tattoo removal. It is administered by Clark County’s Department of Juvenile Justice Services and the Clark County Juvenile Court.
Judge Voy, Clark County Juvenile Judge, initiated this important program partnership to assist youth and families that desperately need this service but cannot afford the medical procedure. Dr. Garcia’s tattoo removal service is an example of what community members can do to reduce gang crime and violence.
CONTACT: Michael Sommermeyer, Court Information Officer, (702) 671-4534.
Mandatory E-Filing Begins Feb. 1, 2010
Posted by Michael in Administration, Chief Judge, e-filing on January 25th, 2010
Pursuant to Administrative Order 09-12, electronic filing will be mandatory in the Eighth Judicial District Court on February 1, 2010 for all Civil and Domestic case filings.
Criminal filings will continue to be accepted over the counter at this time and may also be electronically filed.
Our current E-File vendor is Wiznet. Their website address is www.wiznet.com; their customer service telephone number is (800) 297-5377.
The court will provide a limited number of workstations for filing in the Courthouse for use by pro se litigants.
If you have any questions about the Court’s requirements or processes, you can contact the Eighth Judicial District Court’s Wiznet desk at 702-671-0514 (Civil/Criminal) and (702) 455-5941 or (702) 455-2357 (Family).
Court Case Look-up Unavailable Jan. 22 - Jan. 25
Posted by Michael in Administration, Events on January 21st, 2010
The Eighth Judicial District Court will convert Probate case files from Blackstone to the Tyler Odyessy system this weekend (Jan. 22 - Jan. 25, 2010). The Criminal Blackstone Case Lookup system will be unavailable starting at 5 p.m. Friday (Jan. 22) through noon Saturday (Jan. 23). In addition, the Civil and Family Odyessy System will be unavailable from 10 a.m. Saturday (Jan. 23) through 6 a.m. Monday (Jan. 25). The court appreciates your patience.
For more information on the Clark County Court’s Case Lookup Systems, visit http://courtgate.coca.co.clark.nv.us/
Text and Email System Provides Timely Court Updates
Posted by Michael in Administration, Education, Security on January 20th, 2010
The Clark County Courts will launch this week a new Community Information Service provided by Nixle, LLC designed to deliver important and timely information by web, e-mail and cell phone text (SMS).
The service will allow the Clark County Courts to send quick, efficient, and secure court information out to community members who subscribe to the system. Through www.nixle.com, the Clark County Courts will be able to send text message (SMS) and email alerts to subscribers in a specific area, down to .25 miles.
Notifications might be considered in the following instances:
- A public safety emergency requires people to stay in or remain away from the Regional Justice Center. A Nixle alert can let individuals near the courthouse know what’s happening, allowing individuals to take a proactive role in their own safety. Messages arrive by text message (SMS) or e-mail.
- A high profile event is taking place that may require individuals to avoid an area around the courthouse, or may impact on their daily routine. A Nixle alert would tell them the specifics of the event and allow them to proactively plan their day.
- A public event is planned for the courthouse and we wish to invite everyone to attend. A Nixle alert can provide them the details and encourage them to participate.
The service is provided at no cost to individuals who subscribe to the alerts. Sign up at www.nixle.com to register.