F. Standards for Civil Traffic and Small Claims Hearing Officers

  1. Initial Program Requirements

    2. Before assuming hearing officer duties, a new civil traffic or small claims hearing officer shall complete a specialized training program approved by COJET.

  2. Additional Program Requirements

    3. Paid Hearing Officers: An individual paid by the court to serve as a civil traffic or small claims hearing officer is subject to COJET continuing education requirements.

    Volunteer Hearing Officers: An individual who serves voluntarily as civil traffic or small claims hearing officer is not subject to the continuing education requirements of COJET. However, the presiding judge of the superior court in the respective county may require this individual to complete particular training programs.

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G. Standards for Administrators, Clerks, and Probation and Court Personnel

  1. Program Requirements

    2. Administrators, clerks, and probation and court personnel shall receive orientation, where applicable, and shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours of approved course work each year, including ethics training.

  2. Participant's Responsibilities

    3. Administrators, clerks, and probation and court personnel should obtain and maintain professional competence through court-related education programs and shall report compliance with the standards by completing the reporting requirements described in Section J.

  3. Curriculum Standards

    1. Court-related education should address the areas of proficiency, competency, and performance.
    2. Court-related education and training programs should impart knowledge and understanding of the Arizona judiciary and the legal process and increase the participant's understanding of the responsibilities of his or her position and its impact on the judicial process.
    3. Court-related education and training programs include:
      1. Local orientation as soon as practicable after hiring or appointment.
      2. Attendance at local and regional seminars for clerks of each court.
      3. Advanced and specialized programs, if available and appropriate.
      4. Independent learning opportunities including procedure manuals, video and audio tapes, and other methods of independent learning.

  4. Orientation

    5. Orientation for administrators, clerks, and probation and court personnel shall include, as a minimum:
    1. an explanation of the specific responsibilities of the office involved and familiarization with court structure and procedures; and
    2. an overview of:
      1. the Arizona judiciary, including the structure and function of each court;
      2. current issues in the courts, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and ethics and diversity issues;
      3. expectations when dealing with the public in the courts; and
      4. effective communication skills for court employees.

  5. Continuing Education

    1. Administrators, clerks, probation and court personnel shall participate in at least one course in each of the following categories during any five year period:

    2. Administrators, clerks, and probation and court personnel may also take courses in such areas as:

    3. Probation and court personnel should attend periodic local training programs and a state or regional training program at least once every three years.

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H. Standards for Probation Officers

  1. Program Requirements

    2. Each probation officer shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours of approved course work each year, including ethics training.

  2. Participant's Responsibilities

    3. Probation officers should obtain and maintain professional competence through court-related education programs and shall report compliance with the standards by completing the reporting requirements described in Section J.

  3. Curriculum Standards

    1. Training and staff development is defined as the human resource area that focuses on helping staff, through planned learning techniques, develop the key competencies needed to perform their current or future jobs.

    2. Training and staff development programs should impart knowledge; improve skills and techniques; and increase probation officers' understanding of their responsibilities and their impact on the judicial system, clients, and society. Programs should be offered to meet the educational needs of probation officers at various stages of their careers.

    3. Training and staff development programs should include:
      1. Orientation prior to assuming a caseload and casework responsibilities.
      2. Education for new probation officers on major probation subjects and practical skills needed by them and appropriate to the agency in which they work.
      3. Continuing education for probation staff emphasizing new developments in the probation field, procedural developments in the judicial system, and training needed to enhance individual efficiency and abilities.
      4. Periodic educational offerings for management staff in organizational development and supervisory skills.
      5. Advanced and specialized programs for chief probation officers.
      6. Independent learning opportunities for probation staff including video and audio tapes, and other methods of independent learning.

  4. Standards for New Probation Officers

    1. Prior to assumption of caseload an casework responsibilities, all new adult and juvenile probation officers shall receive orientation within the first thirty days of employment. Specific subject areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Agency mission, goals and objectives;
      • Agency policies and procedures
      • Utilizing agency resources;
      • Role of the professional probation officer;
      • Court philosophy, judicial system roles, responsibilities and inter-relationships;
      • Rules of criminal procedure, the criminal code, and sentencing  alternatives (adult);
      • Records;
      • Personnel procedures, performance appraisal, affirmative action, grievance procedures; and
      • Privacy, security, and confidentiality of records;
      • Philosophy of staff development, training requirements, and specific job responsibilities

    2. Orientation should be provided by the individual agencies. Credit toward the orientation requirement may be given for training previously received.

    3. In the first twelve months of employment , all new adult and juvenile probation officers shall successfully complete the Probation Officer Certification Academy. Specific subject areas include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Ethics
      • Courtroom testimony, responsibilities, and behavior;
      • Legal liabilities and issues in probation;
      • Understanding and managing probationer behavior;
      • Role of alcohol abuse in delinquent and criminal behavior;
      • Role of substance abuse in delinquent and criminal behavior;
      • Role of lack of employment in delinquent and criminal behavior;
      • Utilizing community resources;
      • Listening and communication skills;
      • Effective writing skills;
      • Interviewing techniques;
      • Stress management;
      • Time management; and
      • Interpersonal skills.

  5. Standards for Probation Officers

    1. After successful completion of orientation and the Certification Academy, in every year thereafter, all adult and juvenile probation officers shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours of approved training, including ethics training. Subject areas are at the discretion of the individual agency. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Case classification, risk and needs assessment;
      • Officer safety and discretion in the field;
      • Cultural awareness; e.g., working with minority offenders;
      • Caseload management and case planning;
      • Creative problem-solving and decision-making;
      • Role awareness, judgment, and situational leadership;
      • Specialized caseloads (alcohol, drugs, mental illness, white collar crime, gangs, sexual abusers);
      • Dictation skills;
      • Introduction to intensive probation; and
      • Personnel practices and procedures.

    2. Training may be obtained in-house or outside the agency.

    3. Approved, job-related college credit may, upon successful completion of a course, be applied to no more than eight of the sixteen hour requirement.

  6. Standards for Probation Management Staff

    1. All adult and juvenile probation management staff shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours of approved, ongoing training each year, including ethics training. Pre-approved, job-related college credit may, upon successful completion of a course, be applied to no more than eight of the sixteen hour requirement. Subject areas are at the discretion of the individual agency. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Organizational development, planning, and evaluation;
      • Management development, career options, and productivity;
      • Supervisory training, case review, and performance appraisal (i.e., interviewing, feedback, conducting meetings, and disciplinary action);
      • Team building, motivation, and job design;
      • Case flow and information management;
      • Space, facilities, equipment, and materials management;
      • In-service training, planning, and evaluation;
      • Budgeting, fiscal management, and quality control; and
      • Court, community, and agency relations.

    2. Training may be obtained in-house or outside the agency.

  7. Standards for Probation Training Staff

    1. Adult and juvenile probation agencies in counties with a population of over 500,000 should have a full-time training department supervised by a qualified employee at the supervisory or higher management level. The training staff should dedicate all of their time to training and training-related activities. Every training officer should complete a minimum of sixteen hours of planned training, including ethics training and train-the-trainer activities each year.

    2. Adult and juvenile probation agencies in counties with a population of less than 500,000 may have a full-time training department. They may also send their employees to training programs offered by larger counties or to other available training programs. Every agency without a full-time training department should appoint a training coordinator, who may have duties other than training.

    3. Any staff member, other than the full-time training staff, who conducts an approved, planned training program may receive up to eight hours of training credit per year for serving in a trainer or faculty capacity.

    4. All probation agencies shall establish and maintain an accurate set of training records. The training supervisor or coordinator should be responsible for those records.

  8. Standards for Chief Probation Officers

    9. Every chief probation officer or director of court services shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours of ongoing training each year, including ethics training. Within each three-year time period, they shall attend at least one out-of-state or in-state program conducted by an established, nationally recognized training organization such as any one of the following:

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I. Annual Judicial Conference

All judges are required to attend an annual judicial conference designated by the Supreme Court.

Absence from the conference is permitted only upon written request to and written approval from the Chief Justice.

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J. Funding and Financial Assistance

  1. Funding Sources

    1. State Funds. The State of Arizona, through the Supreme Court, should make funding available, whenever possible, for attendance of judges and court personnel at local, state and national judicial education programs.

    2. Local Funds. Increased state appropriations will be requested by the Supreme Court, when necessary, to meet the educational standards and to enhance the quality of educational programs; however, counties and cities should continue to make funds available to support educational efforts of judges and court personnel.

  2. Financial Assistance

    1. Programs Within the State. Supreme Court education funds set aside for direct financial assistance will first be used to support mandatory in-state orientation programs for new judges and other education priorities established by the Chief Justice.

    2. Programs Outside the State. Supreme Court education funds available for direct financial assistance will first be used according to the following priorities:

      1. Newly elected or appointed judges seeking to attend a suitable comprehensive residential national judicial education program or school.
      2. Judges who have complied with the education standards but have been unable to attend a suitable comprehensive residential national judicial education program or school within the first two years of their taking office.
      3. Judges who have complied with the education standards and who last attended a residential national judicial education program or school three or more years prior to seeking financial assistance from the Supreme Court.
      4. Judges and court personnel wishing to attend non-resident seminars and educational conferences applicable to their judicial responsibilities and jurisdictional level who are in compliance with these standards.
      5. Where an urgent or critical need exists, a judge can be considered for direct financial assistance more than once during the same year, assuming funds are available and taking into account the needs of other judges in the categories listed above.

    3. Tuition and Conference Fees. State funds may be available on a limited basis to pay tuition or registration fees for approved programs. These funds, when available, can be requested through the Administrative Office of the Courts. State funds cannot be used to pay conference fees or program charges such as fees for sporting events, excursions, plays, or social activities. When meals are included in conference fees, individual participants can request reimbursement of meal-related expenditures at the approved state rate.

  3. Social Programs

    4. Social events held in conjunction with education programs should not interfere with education sessions. When appropriate, social programs can be initiated and developed by professional associations. All programs should be coordinated with the Education Services staff.

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K. Individual Certification
  1. Compliance

    1. Compliance for full-time or part-time employees. All full-time and part-time permanent judges and court personnel governed by these standards shall report compliance or non-compliance with the standards on forms provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Judges who fail to comply with the standards and are not exempt shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with any applicable canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Court personnel who fail to comply and are not exempt, shall be subject to disciplinary action by their respective administrative authorities.

    2. Compliance for new full-time or part-time employees. All new full-time or part-time judges and court personnel governed by these standards shall report compliance or non-compliance with the standards on forms provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts according to the following prorated schedule:

      3. If employed: Including orientation and ethics:
      January-March 12 hours
      April-June 8 hours
      July-September 4 hours
      October-December Orientation only

      Judges who fail to comply with the standards and are not exempt shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with any applicable canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Court personnel who fail to comply and are not exempt, shall be subject to disciplinary action by their respective administrative authorities.

  2. Exemptions

    3. Judges, law clerks, and other court personnel holding temporary positions are exempt from compliance with the standards unless ordered to participate in educational programs by their respective chief judges or presiding judges. Exemptions for medical or other physical conditions preventing active participation in educational programs may be obtained from chief or presiding judges. Exemptions may also be granted by the chief or presiding judges for approved leaves of absence. In the event of an exemption, required annual credit will be determined by the prorated schedule of four (4) credit hours per yearly quarter actively working.

  3. Certification and Reporting Procedures

    4. Compliance forms shall be filed with designated training coordinators at the appropriate court or county level. Chief and presiding judges shall certify compliance, non-compliance, and exemptions by filing consolidated compliance reports for their respective courts or counties each year for the calendar year beginning January 1 and ending December 31. Reporting guidelines, annual schedules of court-sponsored programs, and lists of designated training coordinators shall be provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts.

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L. Program Accreditation

Only accredited programs, presented either in-house or by outside agencies, shall meet the requirements of these standards. Programs shall be accredited pursuant to guidelines approved by the Committee on Judicial Education and Training.