Judicial & Legislative News
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twelve participants will celebrate their graduation from the 4th Judicial District’s Recovery Court Adult Criminal Drug Court (ACDC) track on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. This rigorous program combines judicial oversight with individualized treatment and intensive supervision. The 4th Judicial District’s drug court was the second of its kind in Colorado and began in 2001.
“This graduation celebrates the successes of this group of very dedicated Drug Court participants who have reached a milestone not only in their recovery but also in their lives,” said 4th Judicial District Court Magistrate Daphne Burlingame, who will preside over the graduation ceremony.
In light of the felony drug law changes effective July 2013, the program revamped its admissions criteria and program requirements to meet the needs of the high risk/high need offenders it serves. This group of graduates is the first to complete the new program’s requirements of at least 2 years supervised probation, to include successfully completing their substance abuse treatment program, remaining substance free, maintaining employment and applying important life skills. By completing community based treatment, many of them have earned the right to have their felony conviction converted to a misdemeanor.
“To our graduates, I say always know there are people out there who care very much about your success and your future. What this means is that not only do you have the support of your friends, your family, and the Recovery Court Teams, but also you have the support of our entire community,” Magistrate Burlingame said. “Why do we as a community put so much effort into Problem Solving Courts? The answer, simply put, is that Problem Solving Courts work! We are saving lives, and improving communities -- all at a cost far less than what it would take to simply warehouse in jails and prisons those who commit non-violent acts as a result of alcohol and drug addictions.”
The National Institute of Justice’s Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE) found that: Drug court participants reported less drug use (56 percent versus 76 percent) and were less likely to test positive for drug use (29 percent versus 46 percent) than the comparison probationers. Participants also had fewer rearrests than the comparison probationers. Additional MADCE research found that drug courts produce an estimated $1.50 in benefits for every dollar in costs. (National Criminal Justice Reference Service, https://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/drug_courts/summary.html)
Locally, the success of the ACDC participants has been overwhelming. A statewide search shows that out of 368 graduates of 4th Judicial District’s drug court since 2009, 79% have not received new criminal convictions. Through continued hard work by each of our participants and with the support of our entire community, we will continue to break the cycle of drugs and alcohol dependence. By doing so, we will strengthen families and improve our community.
Nearly 80 problem-solving courts are in operation around Colorado including adult and juvenile drug courts, family/dependency and neglect drug courts, DUI courts, adult and juvenile mental health courts, veteran trauma courts, and truancy courts.
DENVER – The Colorado Convening on Children, Youth and Families (CCCYF) Planning Committee is accepting proposals for plenary and breakout session presentations for the annual Convening on Children, Youth and Families scheduled for April 22-25, 2018 in Vail.
The conference is held annually with the goal of bringing together Best Practice Court Teams (BPCT), Family Treatment Drug Courts Teams (FTDC) and Juvenile Problem Solving Court Teams (JPSC) to promote collaborative, team-based approaches to dependency and neglect and delinquency cases in Colorado. Membership of these teams includes judicial officers, child welfare representatives, guardians ad litem, respondent parents’ counsel, county attorneys, family court facilitators, court-appointed special advocates (CASA), court clerks, education representatives, service providers, foster parents, faith-based organizations, and other stakeholders who are involved in the child welfare system.
At the 2018 Colorado Convening on Children, Youth and Families, BPCT, FTDC, and JPSC teams will participate in multi-disciplinary child welfare training, share best practices among teams, participate in statewide discussions of permanency, safety and well-being, learn more about continuous quality improvement, and work together as individual teams to update old goals and set new goals.
The Colorado Judicial Court Improvement Program, the Colorado Judicial Department Problem Solving Courts Unit, and the Colorado Department of Human Services welcome presentation proposals on any dependency and neglect, family treatment drug court, and juvenile drug court related topics. Priority will be given to the following topics:
Authors of submitted proposals may be invited to present at the 2018 Colorado Convening on Children, Youth and Families. Presenters will be asked to prepare a 75-minute presentation, which will be presented at two different sessions on one day of the three-day Convening. Please limit panelists and co-presenters to three per presentation.
Deadline for Proposals: By October 12, 2017, proposals must be submitted through the survey web link below with the following information: Name of presenter(s), primary contact phone number and email, proposed title of session, area of focus, target audience, session description including outlines of learning objectives and learning strategies, and amount of any required honorarium. Each proposal must include a CV or biography for each presenter.
Acceptance of Proposals: By October 20, 2017, a decision on all proposals will be made and selected presentations will be named.
Submission Guidelines: Proposals must be submitted through https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/62NGHTQ.
Questions may be sent via e-mail to ColoradoConveningonChildrenYouthandFamilies@judicial.state.co.us.
DENVER – Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy Rice has appointed District Court Judge William Bain to serve as the Chief Judge of the 4th Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties).
He replaces retiring Chief Judge Gilbert Martinez who was appointed to the District Court in 1989, served as Chief Judge from 1994 to 2007, and then again from 2012 to date. Judge Bain’s appointment is effective upon Judge Martinez’s retirement on Aug. 1, 2017.
“Chief Judge Martinez has dedicated the entirety of his nearly 40-year career to the law through public service and is to be commended for his vast contributions to the judiciary,” Chief Justice Rice said. “I wish him well in his retirement. He will be missed by many.”
Judge Bain is a fifth generation Colorado native, who was appointed to the District Court by Governor Bill Ritter in 2010.
“I am pleased to appoint Judge Bain to this important role,” Chief Justice Rice said. “I am confident he has the characteristics necessary to be a successful leader and I look forward to working with him.”
Judge Bain has resided in Colorado Springs since 1997. He received his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1996. Judge Bain first worked in private practice with Welborn, Sullivan, Meck and Tooley in Denver. He then served as a deputy district attorney in the 4th Judicial District and as a civil litigator for the City of Colorado Springs before being appointed to the bench. He has served on the boards of Court Care, Safe Passage, the El Paso County Bar Foundation, and has been the president of the Ben S. Wendelken American Inn of Court.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado’s 4th Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties) is offering its inaugural Family Law Day to assist self-represented litigants in family law matters.
A variety of professional services will be available at no cost during the event at the El Paso County Combined Courts (270 S. Tejon in Colorado Springs) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 5, 2017.
Among the services to be offered are informational sessions taught by attorneys on topics such as starting the divorce process; courtroom etiquette and how to present a case; drafting a parenting plan and separation agreement; and the basics of child support and spousal maintenance.
The event also will offer a Children and Families in Transition class to satisfy the mandatory parenting class requirement in all domestic relations cases involving children.
Volunteer attorneys and mental health professionals will be available to answer questions, and a magistrate will be available to handle uncontested domestic relations matters.
Spanish interpretation will be available for all services, and free, on-site child care will be available through the Court Care Program.
For more information, please contact Family Court Facilitator Nicolle Rugh at nicolle.rugh@judicial.state.co.us or 719-452-5103.
COLORADO SPRINGS – The 4th Judicial District’s Veterans Trauma Court (VTC) has been selected by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ Justice for Vets program as one of four courts in the United States to serve as a mentor court for new VTC programs across the country.
The VTC was selected for its overall excellence in providing treatment options and an alternative to incarceration for U.S. military veterans and active duty military personnel with trauma spectrum disorders and/or substance abuse issues who have proven to be high risk and high need.
Justice for Vets Major General (ret.) Clyde “Butch” Tate will meet with the VTC team on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at noon in courtroom W350 of the El Paso County Courthouse (270 S. Tejon, Colorado Springs, CO 80901) and present them with a plaque to commemorate the achievement. Media and public are invited to attend the celebration.
“We are humbled and honored to be recognized by Justice for Vets for what we have accomplished since this Court was launched in December 2009,” said District Court Judge David Shakes, who presides over the VTC docket. “We look forward to sharing our best practices and assisting courts across the country as they build these very important programs.”
Judge Shakes is a retired United States Army Judge Advocate and has been a district court judge for more than 10 years.
In addition to the 4th Judicial District’s VTC, the 13th Judicial District: Courts Assisting Military Offenders in Billings, MT; the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court in Buffalo, NY; and the 4th Judicial Circuit Duvall County Veterans Treatment Court in Jacksonville, FL, were also selected as mentor courts.
“These Veteran Treatment Courts are a shining example of how the courts, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the community can come together to honor our veterans by ensuring they receive the services and treatment they need to recover,” Justice for Vets Director Scott Swaim said. “As mentor courts, these programs are helping to transform the U.S. justice system by providing support to service men and women who would otherwise be incarcerated.”
Since its inception, the 4th Judicial District VTC has enrolled 354 participants and graduated 223 from the program. There are currently 78 vets enrolled and actively participating in the Court. The VTC is state and locally grant funded.
The 4th Judicial District VTC is a collaborative effort among local, state and federal partners. The core of the team includes the 4th Judicial District and associated justice-related agencies, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Family Care Center, Operation TBI Freedom (Craig Hospital), Rocky Mountain Human Services, Peak Research LLC, UCCS Trauma Health and Hazards Clinic, U.S. Army Warrior Transition Program and the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.
For more information on the 4th Judicial District VTC click here.
