SJI Newsletter

June 2019 | Volume 29, No. 9

SJI Partners with other Federal Agencies

to Address the Opioid Epidemic in Rural Areas

The Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Grant is designed to leverage the combined resources 

and expertise of the BJA, CDC, SJI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other 

federal partners to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with opioid overdoses among 

individuals who come in contact with law enforcement or are involved in the criminal justice system 

in high-risk rural communities and regions.

Applications should demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic nature of substance abuse. All 

proposed activities supported by this solicitation must exclusively target populations residing in rural 

communities or rural census tracts in urban or suburban counties.

Learn more about the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Grant and application process 

during the upcoming webinar, scheduled for June 26, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., ET. Register here:

http://s.iir.com/Rural_Responses. Please submit questions in advance to COAP@iir.com no later 

than June 25, 2019. Emails should include the name and agency of the submitter, his or her email

address, and the question(s).

The solicitation can be found at http://s.iir.com/RRgrantform2019. Applications are due on July 26, 

2019.
NCJFCJ Launches National Resource Center

for Military Families and the Courts

The NCJFCJ's National Resource Center on Military-Connected Families and the Courts is designed 

to be a resource for judicial officers and others working in courts with military-connected families in 

cases involving family violence, protection orders, divorce, child custody, child support, child abuse 

and neglect, and juvenile delinquency.

The NCJFCJ received funding for a grant from the State Justice Institute (SJI) to address issues for 

Military-Connected Families and the Courts through December 2019, and is expecting support and 

involvement from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office on Military Community and Family Policy.

The primary focus for the resource center is on active duty military members and their families with 

cases in the juvenile and family court system. The state courts can also find a variety of points of 

services and information including:

1. Register for upcoming trainings featuring military families

View a list of upcoming NCJFCJ trainings featuring military families and many other topics.

2. Request technical assistance

Get answers to the question you have about how the courts are dealing with military

families. If you would like to submit a technical assistance request, please email

contactus@ncjfcj.org.

3. Browse publications

The NCJFCJ has an extensive library of mental health-related and veteran treatment court

publications, guides, and summaries.

Resources regarding military veterans, National Guard, and Reserve members are not the focus of 

the center at this time, but may be included in the future. Click here to visit the Resource Center.
Nebraska Hosts National Summit

on Pandemic Preparedness

Participants from the nation’s state courts attended a Summit on Pandemic Preparedness at the 

University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) May 22 – 24, 2019. The summit, hosted by 

Nebraska Chief Justice Michael Heavican, brought together chief justices and other court leaders, 

health officials, and members of the legislative and executive branches to discuss ways to address a 

pandemic outbreak.

Topics for the summit included legal issues that can emerge from a pandemic, such as quarantines. 

Small discussion groups were led through exercises designed to explore the problematic aspects of 

isolation and quarantine law, following presentations by the Center for Disease Control, medical 

researchers, and legal experts. Tours of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, National Quarantine 

Center, iExcel VizHub, and the Chihuly Sanctuary were included.

The goal of the summit is to ensure that all government agencies work together to effectively meet 

the needs of the public during a public health crisis. The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is 

provided technical assistance, including experts in the field and the State Justice Institute (SJI)

awarded grant funding for this critical summit.

• Read/Listen to NPR interview with Judge Leigh Ann Retelsdorf: If a pandemic hits,

Nebraska's courts plan to protect legal system.

• Read the Omaha World Herald: Doc quarantined in Omaha after Ebola exposure on

experience, need to care for people facing disease.

• Read Chief Justice Heavican’s remarks: Opening Remarks for the National Summit

Omaha.

• Read Court Order in Kaci Hickox case (Maine nurse who challenged Ebola quarantine):

Order of Charles LaVerdiere, Former Chief Judge of the Maine District Court:

Maine HHS vs. Kaci Hickox.
NACM 2019 Annual Meeting

The National Association for Court Management (NACM) will hold its annual meeting July 21-25, 

2019. The deadline to register for the not-to-be-missed event for court professionals is fast 

approaching on Friday, June 29, 2019. The meeting promises something for everyone regardless 

of stage in career or role within court management.

As with past years, select educational sessions will be livestreamed and archived. The

livestreaming schedule and site is currently reviewable online, and allows you to integrate your 

calendar with reminders of upcoming events. Plenaries and workshops to be livestreamed include:

• Plenary Follow-Up: The “B” word for leaders: Balancing Strength and Style to

Communicate Effectively;

• Update on the National Opioid Task Force;

• Mental Health: How Can Courts Respond?;

• Plenary on Cybersecurity and the Dark Web, led by Mark Lanterman and Plenary

Follow Up: Son of a Breach: Don’t Be Another Fish in the Dark ‘Net.

Attendees and those who participate remotely can also access NACM’s Facebook Live Broadcasts, 

which will be impromptu sessions featuring NACM officers, members, and conference attendees. 

Be sure to like the NACM Facebook page.
SJI Board of Directors

Chair

John D. Minton, Jr.

Chief Justice

Supreme Court of Kentucky 

Frankfort, KY

Vice Chair

Daniel J. Becker

State Court Administrator (ret.) 

Utah AOC

Salt Lake City, UT

Secretary

Gayle A. Nachtigal

Senior Circuit Court Judge

Washington County Circuit Court 

Hillsboro, OR

Treasurer

David V. Brewer

Justice

Oregon Supreme Court

Salem, OR

Jonathan Lippman

Chief Judge of New York (ret.)

of Counsel

Latham & Watkins, LLP

New York, NY

Chase T. Rogers

Chief Justice (ret.)

Supreme Court of Connecticut

Partner

Pitney Day, LLP

Hartford, CT

Wilfredo Martinez

County Judge

9th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Orlando, FL

Marsha J. Rabiteau

Executive Director

Center for Human Trafficking

Court Solutions

Bloomfield, CT

Hernan D. Vera

Principal

Bird Marella P.C.

Los Angeles, CA

Isabel Framer

President

Language Access Consultants, LLC 

Copley, OH

Jonathan D. Mattiello

Executive Director

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

federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of justice in the state courts.

Products and Resources

Since 2011, SJI has designated the library at the National Center for State Courts as the

official repository of published work related to SJI-supported grant projects. You can

search the ecollection online by using the term, State Justice Institute.

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information of interest to the entire state court community. If your organization's work 

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