Julie Whitman, Executive Director | Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana Children live in families and communities, not programs and systems. When government intervenes in the life of a child, that intervention is inevitably through a program within a state agency or system. The Department of Child Services provides court-ordered foster care; the Division of Mental Health and Addiction offers … [Read more...] about Collaborating for the Children
Advocacy
The Dropout Problem: Part 2
What is behind it and what judges can do about it In Part 1 of this article in the September/October issue of Court Times, we considered research on the high victim attrition rate in criminal domestic violence cases, as well as some laws that judges can use to help ensure the integrity of the proceedings. In Part 2, we consider the civil court analogue to this predicament: petitioners who file and then dismiss … [Read more...] about The Dropout Problem: Part 2
The Dropout Problem: Part 1
What is behind it & what judges can do about it A judge presiding over a criminal docket will quickly conclude that family violence cases are different. In an auto theft case, for example, the victim is usually cooperative: she wants to help the police and prosecutor bring the perpetrator to justice for his crime. But in a case involving family violence—especially intimate partner violence—the victim often rec … [Read more...] about The Dropout Problem: Part 1
A Helping Hand: Volunteer Advocates for Seniors or Incapacitated Adults
When Alice Smith (not her real name, but this is a true story), age 80, first came to the attention of the Lawrence County Guardianship Services Program (LCGSP), she had no money and no place to live. Alice’s daughter and Power of Attorney had cleared out her bank account, sold her house, and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada—taking with her more than $200,000 of Alice’s money. Sadly, Alice had also been diagnosed with demen … [Read more...] about A Helping Hand: Volunteer Advocates for Seniors or Incapacitated Adults
Indiana Public Defender Commission: Providing Legal Counsel for the Indigent
Criminal and juvenile cases now constitute almost half of all cases filed in Indiana (excluding infractions). Criminal and juvenile cases require the court-appointment of counsel if the defendant is indigent. When this occurs, judges must select from a relatively small pool of attorneys who are potentially eligible for appointment. Fifty-five of Indiana’s ninety-two counties have joined the state-funded public d … [Read more...] about Indiana Public Defender Commission: Providing Legal Counsel for the Indigent