JUDICIAL BRANCH FY BUDGET PRESENTATION

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1 JUDICIAL BRANCH FY BUDGET PRESENTATION

JUDICIAL DISTRICTS Courts located within the Second Judicial District, funded partially or completely by Washoe County: Incline Justice Court Wadsworth Justice Court Reno Justice Court Sparks Justice

2 JUDICIAL DISTRICTS Courts located within the Second Judicial District, funded partially or completely by Washoe County: Incline Justice Court Wadsworth Justice Court Reno Justice Court Sparks Justice Court District Court Law Library Juvenile Services Number of Judges 15 District Court 10 Justice Court There were 54,590 non-traffic cases and 62,827 traffic/parking cases filed in the Second Judicial District in FY

3 INCLINE JUSTICE COURT 3

4 INCLINE JUSTICE COURT Honorable Alan Tiras Presiding Judge 865 Tahoe Boulevard, Suite 301 Incline Village, NV

INCLINE JUSTICE COURT Incline Justice Court provides

Justice Court Services, including: - Misdemeanor

Arraignments - Search Warrants - Traffic Court -

5 INCLINE JUSTICE COURT Incline Justice Court provides the citizens of Incline Village /Crystal Bay with: Justice Court Services, including: - Misdemeanor Arraignments > Trial - Gross Misdemeanor and Felony Arraignments - Search Warrants - Traffic Court - Landlord Tenant - Civil Trials - Small Claims - Protective Orders - Weddings 5

6 INCLINE JUSTICE COURT Special Juvenile Master Special Family Court Master Victim Impact Panel Pretrial Services / Alternative Sentencing Drug/Alcohol Testing Initial County Contact for other County Services 6

7 INCLINE JUSTICE COURT Judge (AT) (.85 FTE) Administrative Staff 3.40 FTE ~ 731 cases per FTE Supervising Court Clerk (Criminal) (FF) (1 FTE) Interpreter/Clerk (Citation and Civil) (EA) (.80 FTE) Supervising Bailiff (HK) (1 FTE) Bailiff / Clerk (LW) (.60 FTE) Bailiffs (2 Pooled Positions) 7

8 INCLINE JUSTICE COURT Case Load Civil Cases Filed FY FY FY FY

9 SPARKS JUSTICE COURT 9

10 SPARKS JUSTICE COURT Judge Kevin Higgins Judge Chris Wilson Janine Baker Court Administrator 1675 E. Prater Way #107 Sparks, NV

11 Location: SPARKS JUSTICE COURT Overview Sparks Justice Court is located at 1675 E. Prater Way, Ste 107 across from the Sparks Police Department. Township Boundaries and Population: As far north as Gerlach, Reno to the west and south, and Wadsworth to the east. Within those boundaries, the court serves the city of Sparks, Lockwood, Palomino Valley, Spanish Springs, Sun Valley and Sutcliffe areas. The State Demographer s 2012 estimate lists the population of the Sparks Township at 137,862. Justices of the Peace: Department 1: Chris Wilson Appointed February 24, 2014 Department 2: Kevin G. Higgins (Administrative Judge) Since May

12 MISSION STATEMENT It is the mission of Justice Courts to promote and preserve the rule of law and protection of property rights by providing a fair, independent, and impartial forum for the peaceful resolution of legal conflicts according to the law. Further, it is the mission of Justice Courts to provide judicial services in such a manner as to: (1) promote access to justice; (2) adjudicate cases in an expeditious and timely manner; (3) utilize public resources efficiently and effectively such that it demonstrates accountability and engenders public trust and confidence; and (4) promote an understanding of the Courts as a vital component of the tripartite system of government, independent of and co-equal to the Legislative and Executive branches. 12

13 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Judge Chris Wilson, Dept 1 Judge Kevin Higgins, Dept 2 POS/FTE 2/2 Sr. Judge James Mancuso POS/FTE1/.41 Court Administrator Janine Baker POS/FTE 1/1 Asst. Court Administrator Anita Whitehead POS/FTE 1/1 Criminal Department POS/FTE 7/7 Court Clerk III (1) Court Clerk I (2) Deputy Clerk I/II (4) Civil/Citation Departments POS/FTE 6/6 Supervisory Clerk III (1) Court Clerk II (1) Deputy Clerk III (1) Deputy Clerk I/II (3) Bailiff Department POS/FTE 4/4 Bailiff Supervisor (1) Bailiff (2) Court Control Officer (1) Accounting Department POS/FTE 1/1 Accounting Supervisor Judges Secretary POS/FTE 1/1 13

quarter Criminal dispositions increased from 1,591 in FY12 to 2,580 in FY13 Criminal filings are

14 CRIMINAL FILINGS Total criminal filings from FY12 to FY13 remained constant Criminal filings increased approximately 32% in the first two quarters of FY14 but began declining in the third quarter Criminal dispositions increased from 1,591 in FY12 to 2,580 in FY13 Criminal filings are directly impacted by the number of arrests made by law enforcement and charges filed by the District Attorney s Office 14

CITATION FILINGS Citation filings increased 16% between FY12 and FY13 Citation filings increased approximately 14% during the first two quarters of FY14 but began declining in the third

15 CITATION FILINGS Citation filings increased 16% between FY12 and FY13 Citation filings increased approximately 14% during the first two quarters of FY14 but began declining in the third quarter Dispositions increased from 6,962 in FY11 to 9,539 in FY12 Citation filings are directly impacted by the number of law enforcement assigned to patrol within the Sparks Township 15

CIVIL FILINGS Civil filings increased 28% from FY12 to FY13 Civil filings during the first quarter of FY14 were flat and began declining in the second quarter

16 CIVIL FILINGS Civil filings increased 28% from FY12 to FY13 Civil filings during the first quarter of FY14 were flat and began declining in the second quarter Dispositions increased from 3,738 in FY12 to 4,243 in FY13 Filings may have declined due to the increased cost of filing fees &/or an upturn in the economy 16

17 ACCOMPLISHMENTS Despite a reduction in filings, revenues are currently at record levels. If maintained, revenues for FY14 will be more than 28% above budget target. Implementation of cross-training for courtroom clerks. Once completed, all courtroom clerks will be trained to handle all hearing types (Civil, Criminal, Citations), no longer limited to hearings within their own department. Accommodates the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission by providing courtroom space to federal judges to conduct local hearings. Implemented the capability of accepting remote witness testimony via teleconference or videoconference. Ranked the second busiest justice court in the state according to the fiscal year 2013 Annual Report of the Nevada Judiciary with 4,384 non-traffic cases per judge. 17

18 EMERGING ISSUES AND CONCERNS Sparks Justice Court anticipates a significant loss of institutional knowledge within the next 3 years due to the retirement of several high-level administrative and supervisory positions. The court has already undergone a major turnover of line staff in the past 3 years. At present, only 48% of staff have 5 or more years of employment with the justice court compared with 74% in On November 12, 2013, the court formally waived its right to a third judicial position. Based on population estimates, Sparks Justice Court has been entitled to the third position since The needs of the court must be reviewed in the fall of 2015 to determine whether or not to place the position on the 2016 ballot. 18

19 BUDGET REQUESTS FOR FY15 Sparks Justice Court has not requested any above-base funding for FY15. The court acknowledges and appreciates the level of professionalism and cooperation it has experienced working with the County Manager s Office and Finance Department during the lean years. 19

20 RENO JUSTICE COURT 20

21 RENO JUSTICE COURT Honorable Scott E. Pearson Presiding Judge Steve Tuttle Court Administrator One South Sierra Street Reno, Nevada

22 RENO JUSTICE COURT Department 1 Judge Lynch Department 2 Judge Sferrazza Department 3 Vacant Department 4 Judge Pearson Department 5 Judge Clifton Department 6 Judge Hascheff Court Administration 2/2 Accounting / Chambers 4/4 Bailiff 7/7 Citation 6/6 Civil 8/9 Criminal 16/16 Information Technology 2/2 Filled 52 Vacant 2 Authorized General Fund 47 Authorized Admin Assessments 5 22

23 CASELOAD Criminal cases filed for FY ,309 felonies (2,172), gross misdemeanors (247), misdemeanors (2,890) Civil cases filed for FY ,138 Small claims (1,261), general civil (6,811), evictions (2,397), protection orders (669) Citations filed for FY ,417 Charges filed (41,126 ) 23

24 CASE ASSIGNMENTS PER JUDGE Total caseload for FY 2013: 43,864 (criminal, civil, and citations) Number of non-traffic cases (criminal and civil) assigned to each Judge: 2,990* * Calculation adjusted for a sixth judge, half the fiscal year. 24

25 ODYSSEY CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Reno Justice Court has been live on the Odyssey case management system for approximately two years and has not experienced any critical software problems or system downtime Reno Justice Court, which supports Sparks Justice Court s use of the system, brought Incline Village Justice Court live in May 2013 Reno Justice Court continues to accept electronic payments of traffic citations and currently receives an estimated $2,200 per day in on-line payments Reno Justice Court is preparing itself to move to the latest version of the software, which will enhance the electronic exchange of information Reno Justice Court is currently piloting electronic filing of civil documents 25

MANDATORY STATUS CONFERENCES (MSC) MSC is a process improvement effort that has greatly enhanced hearing date certainty and accelerated the time needed to move a criminal case to the preliminary

26 MANDATORY STATUS CONFERENCES (MSC) MSC is a process improvement effort that has greatly enhanced hearing date certainty and accelerated the time needed to move a criminal case to the preliminary hearing or plea phase MSCs were implemented in RJC in 2011 and in SJC in 2013 According to the County SAP system, the number of people paid the mandatory $25 subpoena fee by the District Attorney has been reduced by nearly 70% 2010: 6,163 people were paid $25 subpoena fee = $154, : 2,018 people were paid $25 subpoena fee = $50, Annual savings of more than $100,000 Total subpoena fee savings since MSC implementation is more than $237,650 26

27 MANDATORY STATUS CONFERENCES (Continued) MSCs have reduced officer overtime for RJC/SJC by 70% MSCs have eliminated unnecessary delays in criminal case processing, thereby significantly reducing the time and expense of defendants jail days It is estimated that MSCs saves the County $1,000,000 a year in officer overtime, subpoena fees and jail day expenses Estimated total cost savings year-to-date is more than $2,000,000 27

28 COURT COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (CCP) Reno Justice Court operates the fourth largest Specialty Court program (CCP) in the State serving nearly 300 participants CCP consists of several non-adversarial, judicially-supervised dockets including one for DUI defendants, Domestic Violence defendants, young offenders, drug offenders and the new community court diversion program CCP is a State funded, 12 to 24 month, treatment based program based on the national standards for Specialty Courts The recidivism rate for CCP graduates is considerably less (15%) versus the national average (60%) for those defendants that were handled in the traditional crime and punishment manner The cost of jail time is therefore significantly reduced for CCP participants, thus saving the County an estimated average of $1,000,000 per year In the past year we have greatly improved the program through partnerships with Social Services and the District Attorney s office 28

29 COMMUNITY COURT In October 2013, the Board of County Commissioners approved the creation of the State s first Community Court The Community Court is a community-focused program that applies a problem-solving approach to local crime and safety concerns. The Community Court strives to create new relationships, both within the justice system and with outside stakeholders, such as residents, merchants, churches and schools. Community Courts emphasize collaboration, crime prevention, and improved outcomes, including lower recidivism and safer communities The Reno Justice Court s community team includes representatives of the District Attorneys office, Public Defender, Department of Alternative Sentencing, Social Services, treatment provides and national experts provided by the Center for Court Innovation 29

30 COMMUNITY COURT (Continued) The Community Court team meets regularly to collaborate on program growth as well as crime prevention, improved outcomes for criminal defendants, lower recidivism and making our community safer and more productive for its residences The Court offers misdemeanor defendants alternatives, such as community service and case diversion, when charged with low-level crimes Each Community Court participant is screened by Social Services to determine which treatment(s) or service(s), such as substance abuse, mental health, family counseling, literacy assistance, job training, health education or housing assistance, is most effective to modify the defendant s criminal behavior The goal of Community Court is to promote clean, healthy and productive lifestyles 30

31 FY 2013 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS RESULTING IN SAVINGS TO WASHOE COUNTY Reno Justice Court continues to be one of the busiest limited jurisdiction courts in the State In FY 2013 each of the 5/6 RJC judges handled approximately 2,990 complex, time-consuming criminal and civil (non-traffic) cases If RJC included its 1,064 reopened cases as other courts do, its caseload per judge would increase to: 3,210 Local area comparisons: Municipal Courts: 1,520 cases per judge District Court: 1,307 cases per judge RJC employs 46 Full-Time Equivalents (FTE), which created a staff to judge ratio of 7.5 to 1, compared to the statewide average for similar size courts of 15.5 to 1, a difference of 48 employees for an estimated cost savings of more than $3,000,000 a year On average, a single staff member from any other mid-size limited jurisdiction court throughout the State processes 750 cases a year; whereas a single RJC staff member processes 954 cases, a difference of more than 200 cases per individual per year 31

32 FY 2013 PEFORMANCE INDICATORS RESULTING IN SAVINGS TO WASHOE COUNTY (Continued) On average, the cost per case for mid-size limited jurisdiction courts in northern Nevada is $197.86, which is compared to RJC cost per case of $102.57; an estimated cost savings of more than $4,000,000 a year By removing citations from the caseload, the average cost per case for RJC and SJC is approximately $256 The average cost per case for all other Washoe County courts (Municipal, Justice and District) is more than $900 If RJC operated at $900 per case, it would cost the County $16,200,000 Using this nationally-recognized calculation, RJC saves the County more than $11,000,000 per year 32

33 RENO JUSTICE COURT S ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2013 Initiated a staff reorganization that facilitated employees cross-training, improved the utilization of court resources, and launched a long-term succession plan Continued to offer longer hours of operation (7:30am 5:00pm), and remain open through lunch Open 47.5 hours to the general public Open more hours than any other court in the State Streamlined many court processes and procedures, including electronic document exchanges (PC sheets and PD applications) and expanded Specialty Court dockets Initiated an effort to back-scan all (criminal, civil and citation) cases Closed a large number of stale or dated civil cases Continued to explore the feasibility of court consolidation Maintained a balanced budget 33

RENO JUSTICE COURT S ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS FOR FY 2014/15 Upgrade the Court s case management system to the latest version and further expand its capabilities Create and implement a unified traffic

34 RENO JUSTICE COURT S ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS FOR FY 2014/15 Upgrade the Court s case management system to the latest version and further expand its capabilities Create and implement a unified traffic fine and fee schedule for all of Washoe County as well as the City of Reno and possibly other neighboring northern Nevada communities Introduce electronic filing of civil documents Establish a greater web presence by offering an enhanced website with more court information on-line, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions Comply with the State law and use the Department of Alternative Sentencing to supervise all defendants serving suspended sentences 34

35 RENO JUSTICE COURT S ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS FOR FY 2014/15 (continued) Improve court collection by performing the function in-house and utilizing Department of Alternative Sentencing as a field component to remind defendants of their overdue court obligations Pursue electronic data exchanges with other criminal justice entities Continue to streamline court processes 35

36 BUDGET STRATEGY Continue to work in partnership with Washoe County and support the difficult decisions to the best of our ability No budget increase being sought for FY2014/15 Continue to initiate process improvement projects that enhance the effectiveness of the court as well as the entire criminal justice system Streamline court transport and limit inpatient wait times Improve court performance and efficiencies through the use of technology E-filing, enhanced online presence, implement kiosks 36

37 BUDGET STRATEGY Continue to cross-train employees and utilize cross-coverage between internal departments to meet the growing demands of court users Allows us to do more with less and therefore not seek new positions or funding Continue to take advantage of federal and state funded training opportunities that advance the knowledge and skills of judges and court staff in specific areas of the law and court operations All training for the judges of this Court is paid for by non- County sources 37

38 SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT 38

39 SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT Honorable David A. Hardy Chief Judge Joey Orduna Hastings Court Administrator/Clerk of Court 75 Court Street Reno, NV

40 BUDGET APPROACH Continuing Experimentation Continuing Bench Collaboration Continuing Efficient Results Informed decisions based on research and other successful models, such as the National Center for State Court s newest publication entitled Governance: The Final Frontier, June This publication highlights the insights and lessons learned from managing courts as loosely coupled organizations like hospitals and universities. This management approach assists in identifying appropriate allocation of staff and budget resources. 40

41 DISTRICT COURT CASELOAD TRENDS Judges Population Cases Filed Average Disposed ,061 21,575 1,798 19, ,883 20,760 1,482 17, ,632 20,837 1,488 16, ,379 19,914 1,327 16, ,407 18,760 1,251 15, ,120 19,620 1,308 17,175 41

42 DISTRICT COURT FILINGS 2013 Total = 19,620 Family/Juvenile Division = 65% 2,013 Juvenile 3,016 Criminal 3,934 Civil 10,657 Family 42

43 DISTRICT COURT CASELOAD TRENDS Nevada Judicial Districts 8 th District 1,840 5 th District 1,509 2 nd District 1,308 4 th District 1,122 1 st District 1, th District 1,006 3 rd District th District th District th District 400 National Median 1,573 43

44 DISTRICT COURT EMPLOYEES Total Funded FY 2007/ FY 2011/ FY 2012/ FY 2013/

45 ACCOMPLISHMENTS Cross trained Courtroom Clerks and Deputy Clerks to better meet the needs of the public Created Jury Handbook for juror distribution Filing office refresh, expanding availability of service windows from 6 to 18 Created information booth with 4 additional windows to assist patrons with questions and assist with document preparation Cross trained Self Help Center and Law Library employees to meet the needs of pro per litigants Continue Lawyer in the Library to offer legal assistance to pro per litigants Streamlined work flows and employee assignments 45

46 ACCOMPLISHMENTS Removed county funded DSL Internet; moved to public wireless for cost savings Created Evidence Manual for proper maintenance and integrity of evidence filed with the District Court Increased IV-D grant funding Created Fiscal Manual consistent with Minimum Accounting Standards Law Library offer public ability to purchase self help packages for case filing Increased employee training opportunities through County courses and AOC webinars at no cost Streamlined Pretrial process for consistency and continuity Increased collections efforts and collaboration 46

47 ACCOMPLISHMENTS Increased scanner purchases for paperless filing Windows 7 upgrade Change vendor for Crystal Reports to recognize cost savings Reviewed copier needs for lower contract pricing Completed case management upgrade Created internal auditing procedures Created user friendly report for budget analysis and trend review Increased grant applications and awards Scanning of court documents at Filing Office front windows Ongoing collaboration across criminal justice system 47

48 SECURED GRANTS Re-Entry grant 3 years - $701,371 Lee Del Grande - $15,000 State Justice Institute - $50,000 LRIS Public Service Program - $15,000 Mediation grant Administrative Office of the Courts - CIP Community Foundation of Western Nevada Fund Judicial Benevolent Fund AOC Grants Interpreter equipment Courtroom evidence lockers Q-matic ticket dispenser DVD video conversion equipment Receipt printers 48

49 CHALLENGES Data and Uniform System of Judicial Reporting (USJR) reports Mandatory data reporting and limited staffing for case management Meeting demands and various priorities Facilities/Work Orders/ADA Compliance Over 10,000 banker boxes full of files that require barcoding and imaging into electronic form 49

50 CHALLENGES Inadequate Nevada Offense Code compliance Guardianship files without back-end compliance audits Dated courtroom JAVS equipment and hardware Increased need for interpreter services for public in all aspects of the court process Website and need for advanced technology Coordination with criminal justice partners to share data using modern technology 50

51 RESULTS Effective stewards of the Court s allocated budget Increased services to the public Improved allocation of employee resources (fluid, cross-trained, and de-linked) Increased grant funding Increased collections and assessment of fees/fines Increased visitation tracks for supervised family visits at no-cost to the families Continued no-cost mediation to eligible parties Decreased wait times in filing office Improved mandatory reporting compliance Streamlined PBT testing at the Jail Increased dialogue regarding case type needs and resources Return of over $2 million dollars to public and lawyers from trust account through the old money project. 51

submissions reviewed and accepted (this number does not include internal

52 RESULTS Filing Office Snapshot Average/Month Figures: 1,854 phone calls received to main line 10,956 documents bar coded 8,396 e-file submissions reviewed and accepted (this number does not include internal documents that bypass clerk review) 4,037 customers assisted at the front counter 52

53 FY14-15 GOALS/PRIORITIES Compliance with Judicial Reporting requirements and statutes Coordinate with fellow courts to e-file between our courts Fill vacant positions to support re-structure Public E-filing kiosks Continue internal centralized reports and forms Update Specialty Court software Server upgrades and replacements Redesign Court website Communication between Court and P&P for payment recognition Prepare for AOC MAS 2014 audit Policy manual for Interpreter program and services Continue training opportunities for Court employees 53

54 FY14-15 GOALS/PRIORITIES Implement new assessment tool for Pretrial Services Continued management improvements for Pretrial Services Continued rebuilding of staff structure and procedures Improved case management Decrease case back-log and document imaging Reclassifications of positions expected to reduce unspent budget FY13/14 Revisit dated technology and courtroom audio equipment Continue transfer of paper documents into electronic form Modernize Filing Office and Evidence Storage A vision for a new Court building

55 Questions? Thank you 55

Judicial Branch Overview

Judicial Branch Overview Michael Cherry, Chief Justice Ben Graham, Governmental Relations Advisor Assembly Judiciary Committee February 2017 Staff Contact: John McCormick, Assistant Court Administrator