SJI NEWSLETTER SJI NEWSLETTER

In this Issue 

Page 1 

Volume 26, No. 3 

Missouri Municipal Courts 

Assessment & Recommendations 

Promoting 

Our Work

SJI not only uses Facebook and 

Twitter to promote the work of 

its grantees, but also shares information of interest to the entire state court community. If 

your organization’s work complements ours, let us know and 

we will share it! 

Missouri Municipal 

Courts Assessment & 

Recommendations 

1 

State of State Courts 

Survey Results 

2 

White House/DOJ 

Working Sessions 

2 

FY 2016 SJI Grant 

Guideline 

3 

This assessment was conducted by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) at the request of the Supreme Court of Missouri with grant support from SJI 

(SJI-15-T-119). 

The goal was to identify best practices in operating 

and managing limited jurisdiction courts throughout 

the United States, and suggest how those practices 

may be applied to municipal courts in Missouri. The 

impetus for this analysis was sparked by a recent 

Department of Justice (DOJ) assessment of the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department which also alluded to problems and improprieties in the operation 

of the Ferguson Municipal Court. 

Court officials in Missouri were concerned that some 

of the difficulties in Ferguson extended to a broader 

range of municipal courts in the state. Beginning in 

May 2015, the NCSC reviewed studies and reports on 

Missouri’s municipal courts (including the March 

2015, DOJ Report), examined data on court performance, met with the Supreme Court of Missouri, and 

visited, observed, and interviewed judges, lawyers, 

and court staff in a select number of municipal courts 

throughout the state. A number of attorneys, judges, 

county, city, and court officials and staff throughout 

Missouri were interviewed during these site visits. 

The report is divided into four subject matter sections, each with specific recommendations for immediate and sustained improvement: 

leadership and governance 

judicial selection retention and evaluation 

December 2015 

court management 

fiscal and financial operations 

The final report and recommendations are applicable 

to all states with limited jurisdiction courts. SJI 

strongly encourages other state courts to closely examine these recommendations. 
Page 2 

SJI Newsletter Volume 26, No. 3 December 2015 

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) recently released the 

results of the 2015 State of State Courts Survey. 

The results show that courts remain the most trusted branch of government, and Americans recognize their unique role in protecting individual rights. However, persistent concerns about customer service, inefficiency, and bias are undermining the public’s confidence in the 

courts. Key findings from this year’s survey show that concerns about 

inefficiency and unfairness are deep-seated and real, and African 

Americans express significantly less faith in the courts than the population as a whole. 

The survey is based on telephone interviews with 1,000 registered 

voters nationwide. The interviews were completed between October 

26-29, 2015 by GBA Strategies. 

2015 State of State Courts Survey Results 

White House and Department of Justice Convene 

Working Sessions on Fines, Fees, and Bail 

The White House and U.S. Department of Justice convened working 

sessions on court fines, fees, and bail practices December 2-3, 2015 in 

Washington, D.C. Attendees included chief justices, judges, court 

administrators, federal officials, academics, prosecutors, public defenders, and advocates. The following links provide information on 

the working sessions, in addition to background information: 

Video of the White House convening (full day here; 

edited version here); 

Transcript of the Attorney General’s remarks; 

Report from the President’s Council of Economic Advisors on Fees, Fines, and Bail; and 

Background materials, including: 

- The Supreme Court of Ohio Collection of Fines and Courts 

Costs; 

- COSCA 2011-12 Policy Paper - Courts are Not Revenue 

Centers; 

- Thompson v. DeKalb County Settlement; 

- Investigation of 

Ferguson Police 

Department; and, 

- US District 

Court Case, 

Northern Division: Varden v. 

City of Clanton 
Page 3 

SJI Board of Directors

Chairman 

James R. Hannah 

Chief Justice (ret.) 

Supreme Court of Arkansas 

Little Rock, AR 

Vice Chairman 

Daniel J. Becker 

State Court Administrator 

Utah AOC 

Salt Lake City, UT 

Secretary 

Gayle A. Nachtigal 

Senior Circuit Court Judge 

Washington County Circuit Court 

Hillsboro, OR 

Treasurer 

Hernan D. Vera 

Principal 

Bird Marella P.C. 

Los Angeles, CA 

Chase T. Rogers 

Chief Justice 

Supreme Court of Connecticut 

Hartford, CT 

Jonathan Lippman 

Chief Judge of the State of New York 

New York Court of Appeals 

New York, NY 

David V. Brewer 

Justice 

Oregon Supreme Court 

Salem, OR 

Wilfredo Martinez 

County Judge 

9th Judicial Circuit of Florida 

Orlando, FL 

Marsha J. Rabiteau 

Executive Director 

Legal Policy Strategies Group 

Bloomfield, CT 

John B. Nalbandian 

Partner 

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP 

Cincinnati, OH 

Isabel Framer 

President 

Language Access Consultants, LLC 

Copley, OH

Jonathan D. Mattiello 

Executive Director 

The State Justice Institute is a federallyfunded, non-profit corporation established by 

federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of 

justice in the state courts. 

SJI Newsletter Volume 26, No. 3 December 2015 

SJI Releases 

FY 2016 Grant Guideline 

The SJI Grant Guideline for FY 

2016 is now available. The 

Grant Guideline appears as part 

of the National Archives and 

Records Administration’s Federal Register, and sets forth the 

administrative, programmatic, 

and financial requirements for 

applying for and administering SJI grants. 

FY 2016 Deadlines for Project, Technical Assistance (TA), and Curriculum Adaptation (CAT) 

Grants are as follows: 

2nd Quarter – February 1, 2016; 

3rd Quarter – May 1, 2016; and, 

4th Quarter – August 1, 2016. 

SJI Newsletter 

Submissions 

SJI is always accepting submissions 

from its grantees for the SJI Newsletter. Articles of 500 words or less 

from projects that are either: a) ongoing, with information to share; or, b) 

have recently completed and could 

be beneficial to a larger state court 

audience, are of greatest interest. SJI 

reserves the right to edit all submissions for any reason. 

Submissions, including all article 

content in Microsoft Word, images 

or logos, and any links, should be 

sent to us electronically at 

kathryn.tuck@sji.gov by the 15th of 

each month.