The Third Branch
Leadership
Courts, media join forces for outreach program
By Judge James C. Babler, Barron County Circuit Court
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Judge James C. Babler |
Sometimes in life, you hear an idea that is so good, yet so simple, that you wonder why you hadn't thought of it long ago! That's exactly what happened when a small group, including Eau Claire County Clerk of Circuit Court Kristina Aschenbrenner, Barron County Clerk of Circuit Court Sharon Millermon and I, attended the seminar Improving Rural Courts –
A
Networking Approach.
The seminar was presented and funded by the Justice Management Institute, in partnership with the Judicial Council of California and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, United States Department of Justice.
The focus of the seminar was on networking with counterparts from Delaware, Iowa, Washington state and California to share ideas on local service delivery for rural courts. Presentations were given on various innovative services and approaches to rural courts, and participants were required to develop plans for innovation in their own jurisdictions.
Early in the seminar, there was a presentation by the Napa County California Superior Court on Court-Community Collaboration Initiatives. Staff members described one program in which court officials write monthly articles to be published in the local newspaper. In an environment where the integrity and independence of the justice system seem to be assailed on multiple fronts, this appeared to be an idea with solid merit. The proposed initiative provides the public with sound and concise information about the courts. The court system shouldn't consider itself a "bystander" when its image is being tarnished. We should take action!
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Eau Claire County Clerk of Court Kristina Aschenbrenner, Barron County Circuit Judge James C. Babler, and Barron County Clerk of Court Sharon Millermon attended Improving Rural Courts - A Network Approach in Napa, Calif., Oct. 23-26, 2011. |
I knew almost immediately that it was an idea that would work in Barron County and other rural counties. The program is attractive and worthwhile because it:
- involves no public expenditure;
- relies on court officials to write the articles;
- takes relatively little time to prepare the articles;
- allows the courts to partner with newspapers; and
- allows the courts to communicate directly with the public on important justice issues.
In order to bring this to fruition, the editors of the five local newspapers in the county were contacted. I was pleased when our request to publish the monthly articles was warmly received by all five papers.
The articles are informative and non-political, and the court system's neutrality is strictly maintained. The articles are limited to about 500 words and we have assigned a year's worth of topics to court officials.
The article is submitted to each newspaper on the first of each month for publication (along with a photo of the official who wrote the article). All three circuit court judges, along with the clerk of court and register in probate, write the articles.
The first article authored by Millermon, published in January 2012, was based upon on how jurors are selected from Department of Transportation records. The next article by Barron County Circuit Court Judge James D. Babbitt focuses on the topic of a criminal defendant's right to an attorney and the right to remain silent.
Court systems in a democracy depend upon public trust and confidence to sustain them. I am convinced that this type of communication will help to positively shape the image of the court system. We, the courts, need to work diligently to inform our citizenry. We must continue to demonstrate the importance of the court system and why we are an independent branch of government.