Drug Court

Drug Courts play a critical role in promoting Justice 2002's strategic goal of Protecting Children, Families, and Communities. To reduce recidivism in drug related offenses, Drug Courts have been established in a number of Arizona counties. These courts emphasize a combination of treatment and court supervision designed to change the behavior of drug offenders. By concentrating on the future conduct of these offenders, Drug Courts aim to make our communities safer. Successful Drug Courts report that their programs are having a tremendously positive impact on the lives of drug abusers and their families. Successful participants in the Drug Court program benefit Arizona by working, paying restitution and taxes, and allowing prison space to be used for offenders who do not belong in our communities. Arizona Drug Court/DUI programs boast 1,105 successful graduates to date, with another 1,095 individuals currently participating in programs.

Private Fiduciary Program

Children, the elderly, and incapacitated individuals often rely on private fiduciaries to manage their affairs. Three years ago, the Administrative Office of the Courts implemented a groundbreaking program to help ensure Arizona's vulnerable citizens have trained, certified individuals managing their financial affairs, medical decisions, and other vital matters. The program was one of the first of its kind in the nation. This past year, the Fiduciary Advisory Committee was established to review the practices, accounting, and case management of fiduciaries. The recommendations from the Committee on changes in statutes, rules, and administrative procedures will guide the Judicial Branch's future efforts to provide greater protection for the vulnerable population served by private fiduciaries. While the efforts of the Committee are just beginning, the work started by Chief Justice Zlaket to protect this group of Arizonans will benefit our state for generations to come.

Providing Access to Swift, Fair Justice

Reengineering Criminal Case Processing

When Chief Justice Zlaket included Providing Access to Swift, Fair Justice in Justice 2002, one of his first challenges was to address the long delays being experienced in processing felony cases in Arizona courts. As he often said, "Justice delayed is justice denied, and we will have justice in Arizona's courts." Prior to the reengineering of criminal case processing, some cases were taking 300, 600 and, in extreme cases, more than 1,000 days to trial. This was unfair to victims, defendants, taxpayers, and every citizen who relies on our criminal justice system. Through aggressive leadership and the coordination of resources, Arizona courts have made great progress toward meeting the goal of processing 90 percent of criminal cases within 100 days of filing.

Improving Attorney Oversight

Several projects of Justice 2002 focus on improving the attorney discipline system, providing greater regulation of attorneys from other states who practice in Arizona's courts and ensuring the solvency of the client protection fund.

When reengineering of the attorney discipline system began, the serious attorney discipline cases were taking three to four years to resolve. Through the implementation of new court rules, an increase in resources for State Bar staff responsible for investigating complaints, and countless hours by voluntary hearing officers and the members of the Disciplinary Commission, the time required for the processing of attorney complaints has been dramatically reduced.

"The Supreme Court regulates the practice of law in Arizona. The vast majority of lawyers do great work and act professionally. Some do not. We must have a discipline process that produces a just result in a timely fashion," Chief Justice Zlaket has said. The backlog of discipline cases has been addressed and the Supreme Court has now adopted new time standards to process 98 percent of all cases within 22 months.

In conjunction with the State Bar, the Judicial Branch also is working to provide greater oversight of attorneys from other states who appear in Arizona courts. Together, the Bar and the Supreme Court have crafted new rules to regulate attorneys from other states who are granted qualified permission to practice in Arizona. The Judicial Branch also has partnered with the State Bar to maintain the viability of the Client Protection Fund. The Fund exists to

reimburse client victims whose attorneys have misappropriated their funds. The Judicial Branch will continue to safeguard the Fund in order to provide future client victims with financial relief.

Technology Drives Innovation

During most of his time on the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Zlaket has been shaping the direction of technology in Arizona's courts. Before becoming Chief Justice, he served as chair of the Supreme Court Commission on Technology. Chief Justice Zlaket decided that, "No longer can we as a branch of government justify spending tax dollars on separate and independent local court automated systems that are incompatible with one another and costly to build and maintain. We must come together as a branch, agree on standardized and integrated systems, and leverage our buying power and our investment in technology." These words have served as the guiding principle upon which technology policy and investments are made. Less than a decade ago, more than 40 different automated systems existed in courts across Arizona. Today, that number is less than 10.

The more significant achievements over the last several years include the building of the Arizona Judicial Information Network (AJIN), a statewide telecommunications network on which business systems, email, and systems support are provided to more than 3,500 court employees. The Arizona Court Automation Project (ACAP) was implemented and provides desktop automation to more than 1,400 court employees located in 147 courts in every county in Arizona. The Juvenile On Line Tracking System (JOLTS) was deployed allowing probation offices, juvenile detention centers and juvenile courts to access juvenile case information, and a "youth index" has been built and made available to Department of Public Safety officers for their easy access to juvenile offender information.

Work nearing completion includes a statewide repository of domestic violence protection order information that will be used by courts and law enforcement as a tool in protecting those who need this kind of help and a web-based case information search site to expand public access to court records. These are just a few of the many innovative ways in which Arizona courts are using technology to enhance public protection, eliminate barriers to access its courts and make courts more efficient and accountable.