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Utah chief justice urges focus on public confidence, access and youth in State of the Judiciary
Summary
Chief Justice Howe addressed the Utah Senate, introducing two newly appointed justices and outlining court modernization efforts, juvenile justice improvements, and concerns about racial and ethnic fairness and access to the courts; he urged implementation of the Racial and Ethnic Fairness Task Force recommendations.
Chief Justice Howe delivered the State of the Judiciary to the Utah Senate on Jan. 16, introducing newly appointed Justices Michael Wilkins and Matthew Durant and emphasizing the courts' work to improve access, efficiency and public confidence.
Howe highlighted several developments: expanded mediation programs in juvenile and family settings, online court assistance allowing citizens to prepare filing documents over the Internet, electronic filing and case-information systems, and local experiments in case management intended to speed resolution and reduce costs. "This program is now up and running, and hundreds of people have already used this new technology in only a dozen weeks' time," he said, describing an online court assistance effort designed to help landlords, tenants and divorcing parties prepare documents.
The chief justice also pointed to progress in juvenile justice, saying the system had benefitted from the legislature's investments and sentencing revisions. At the same time, he drew attention to troubling indicators: a rise in child-welfare filings and a persistent concern that portions of the minority community lack confidence in law enforcement, the courts and corrections. He said the Racial and Ethnic Fairness Task Force completed a three-year study and "unanimously recommended over 75 proposals" to address disparities and restore trust.
Howe urged the legislature to participate in implementation. "This implementation phase is critical to maintaining the momentum that started that was started by this 3 year inquiry," he said, and recommended creation of a committee of statewide criminal-justice agency leaders and community representatives to oversee carrying the task-force recommendations forward.
He also called for expanded access for people who cannot afford attorneys, citing online assistance and mediation programs as steps to reduce cost barriers. Finally, Howe urged investment in legal-education efforts for youth through a new "education for justice" curriculum for seventh through 12th grades, led by Justice Christine Durham and partners including the State Board of Education and the state bar.
The Senate dissolved the committee of the whole after Howe's remarks and thanked the justices for the presentation.
