8 Best Practices for the Implementation of GR 29

Or Please Remind Me Why I Agreed to be the Presiding Judge!

Introductory presentation

• Zoe – when the module is finished, there will be an introductory presentation here with teaching points and hopefully some live video. We will set up the scenarios that follow. I have included on the first scenario. Please view the show in slide show mode.

Scenario 1: Impaired Judicial Officer

• You are in a multi-judge court.

• You notice a judge’s behavior become erratic.

• You hear complaints by lawyers and court staff

• You suspect alcohol abuse.

What should the court manager/presiding judge do?

1. Talk to the judge; offer assistance.2. File a Judicial Conduct Commission

complaint.3. Ignore it and hope the judge gets better.4. Ask city/county HR department for help.5. Call the Judicial Assistance committee.

1. Are you sure you want to talk to the judge?

• 1. Talking to the judge may jeopardize your relationship with your colleague, or the judges in your court. Do you think the judge will respond to your offer of help, or reject it because “he doesn’t have a problem?”

• This may be a possible solution.Try again

2. Are you sure you should go to the Judicial Conduct Commission now?

• Is this the first step you should take, or should you try some other option before going this far?

Try again

3. Ignore it?

• Since when does ignoring a problem make it go away?

• What liability issues might you face if you ignore the problem?

Try again

4. Ask city/county HR for help?

• Consider separation of powers before you take this step.

Try again

5. Judicial Assistance Committee

• Normally, this is the best first step. The committee has specially trained judicial officers who can help you deal with the problem, and hopefully resolve issues before you have to take further steps.

Go on to the next scenario

Impaired judicial officer with a twist

• Consider the impaired judicial officer scenario from another standpoint.

• You are the administrator in a one judge court—and your judge is the impaired one!

As the court manager, what should you do?

1. Talk to the judge; offer assistance.2. File a Judicial Conduct Commission

complaint.3. Ignore it and hope the judge gets better.4. Ask city/county HR department for help.5. Call the Judicial Assistance committee.

With a twist: talk to the judge

• Now the judge is not only a judicial officer, but also your boss. Ask yourself how your relationship is with her before talking to her and offering help.

Try another solution

With a twist: To the JCC?

• Is this the first step you should take, or should you try some other option before going this far?

Try another solution

With a twist: Ignore it?

• Since when does ignoring a problem make it go away?

• What liability issues might you face if you ignore the problem?

Try another solution

With a twist: Ask city/county HR for help?

• Consider separation of powers before you take this step. One judge or multi-judge court, the separation of powers remains a key issue

Try another solution

With a twist: Judicial Assistance Committee

• Normally this is the best first step, regardless of the number of judges in your court. Managers as well as judges can call the Judicial Assistance Committee for help when needed. The committee has specially trained judicial officers who can help you deal with the problem, and hopefully resolve issues before you have to take further steps.Go on to the next scenario

Impaired Judicial Officer: take three

• Consider the case of the impaired judicial officer, only this time, the impaired individual is the court administrator.

• As the presiding judge, what should you do?