HearSay THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CLARK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
August 2021
February 2020 2019 December
The Clark County Bar Association is a professional organization that serves to support our local attorney community through providing education and networking opportunities designed to enhance and foster better relationships within the local legal community.
August Hearsay Contributors Commissioner Jill H. Sasser Clark County Superior Court Commissioner Jill H. Sasser began serving as a judical officer for Clark County Superior Court in 2021.
Amanda Keller Townsend Law Amanda Keller is an associate at Townsend Law practicing Criminal, Traffic and Personal Injur y Law.
Katie Kauffman Vancouver Defenders, P.S. Katie Kauff man is an experienced criminal defense attorney serving the Vancouver, Washington and the surrounding areas.
Good Dog Files page 10
District Court Welcomes Judge Smith page 12
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JONNY MCMULLEN
Hearsay Profiles: Johnny McMullen page 14
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President’s Message by: Christie Emrich
Dear Members,
Rocket Pops. That’s the taste of summer. Those red, white, and blue frozen delights were always my pick of choice when that glorious van drove down my childhood street. There was nothing quite like the joy of hearing that tinny song, blaring from a loudspeaker on a hot summer’s afternoon. Kids everywhere stopped what they were doing. Once you heard the song the pressure was on - you only had minutes to find your mom, beg for a dollar, and rush to the curb before the ice cream man passed your house. I’d stare at the familiar sign on the side of that striped van and debate each choice. Would it be the pink panther ice cream with the bubble gum eyes? Or maybe a strawberry éclair? In the end, it was always the Rocket Pop for me. As I’ve gotten older the taste of summer has evolved a little. For me it’s now a cold Bell’s Oberon that makes me feel like summer has arrived. It’s my personal summer vacation in a cold bottle and it’s usually my first purchase when I visit Michigan in the summer. That first sip tells me I’m home, it’s summer and it’s time to relax. This summer join the CCBA for a taste of summer at our Summer Soirée. We will be catching up with each other after a long time apart. Enjoy outdoor summer games, summer inspired cocktails, and great food catered by Beaches. We will also take some time to honor the hardworking judicial assistants, clerks, paralegals, and legal assistants that make our life easier. If you haven’t already nominated someone who helped you or went the extra mile this year – take a few minutes and fill out our survey. We would love an opportunity to recognize their contributions to our legal community.
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Speaking of our legal community, our District Court has two new judicial officers with the appointment of Judge Bartlett and Judge Smith to the bench this month. This year continues to be one of change, but the CCBA continues to bring its members an opportunity to weigh in on every judicial process through bar polls and/or forums as our bench continues to evolve. Congratulations to both Judges on their new roles.
The girls enjoying their taste of summer: Blue Moon ice cream in a waffle cone.
September is lurking, fall is coming, but for now I am going to concentrate on enjoying every sun-filled day we have in August. I hope you get out there and enjoy a rocket pop or two and join us on August 28th for our Summer Soirée. Christie
Good Dog Files
A profile of CCBA dogs and their owners
Lily Biscuit, Blaze, Rocky
Good Dogs at Evansen & Associates Who knew how much fun a law office can be?
Lily Biscuit is a 12-year-old mix breed. We like to say she is part hound dog and part perfect dog, because she has excellent manners (most of the time!). I call her my therapy dog – even though she has never been trained as such. I bring her to almost all my meetings with the youth I represent. Some youth even tell me they will not meet with me unless I bring Lily Biscuit and now that I have Rocky they also want to see and meet him. Kids are always eager to take her leash and lead her on a walk, and they love to have her do tricks for them. She can sit, shake hands and lay down. She is also a very good listener. Lily has always had the run of the office. She specializes in sitting in doorways and hallways and always moves the wrong way at the last minute when you try to step over her. In our new office on the corner of 17th and Daniels, she is most fond of parking herself in front of the large copy machine and file cabinets in my legal Assistant, Amanda Bonser’s office – I think it has something to do with the prolific treats! On Mondays and Wednesdays, she gets a visit from Blaze, who belongs to our bookkeeper, Judy Adams. Blaze, 10, is an adorable though oversized Chihuahua mix. The two of them love to take regular walks in the new neighborhood. A neighbor in the next block has nailed a plastic bin of doggie biscuits to a tree in front of his house and that is a popular stop! Judy says, “after a long nap in the car on I-5, Blaze in on alert and tail wagging as we pull up in front of 401 W. 17th Street!” And Rocky, 5, is a recent rescue dog new to our home and office. He fits in perfectly, deftly avoiding Blaze’s carefully guarded space around Judy but always in the thick of things. He and Blaze share the same strawberry blond coloring. He has a sweet, friendly disposition and seems to love people. Tragically, Rocky lost his right eye before joining the family, but the perpetual “wink” only adds to his charm. Amanda Bonser, paralegal says, “I never have to lunch alone!” and is generous about sharing with her canine friends. Kieran Linnell, legal assistant and a dog-lover themself who has two dogs, tosses balls adeptly down the long hallway for whoever is in the mood. And associate attorney Charles Clapperton remarks good naturedly, “I like having Lily around so I can vicariously pretend I have a dog!” When we added Rocky to the Mix he suggested we give Lily the new nickname of Bullwinkle so he could call them Rocky and Bullwinkle. They are about the right sizes for that. The three dogs make the Law Office of Evansen & Associates a much happier place for one and all. Submitted by Maggie Smith Evansen
Buffy
Good Dog of Judge Nancy Retsinas
When did Buffy start coming to work? Well, she isn’t coming to work with me to the courthouse (wouldn’t it be awesome if she could though?!!??) but when I was in private practice Buffy joined me in my office most every day over the last six years. What do they like best about work? Buffy loved chilling with my clients. She was my unofficial therapy pup and had a terrific way of calming my clients. We took walks through downtown every day and she loved it when we stopped in for a puppuchino at a coffee shop by Esther Short Park. How old are they? Seven How/when did they join your family? At 7 weeks. Tell us a little about their personality. Pure sweetness, with a little bit of sass. This girl has never seen a ball she wanted to retrieve but will chase a rabbit all day long. The sound of her own bark startles her, so she’s learned to speak with those soulful eyes of hers.
Reggie
Good Dog of John Terry & Christina Phelan When did Reggie start coming to work? Reggie has been coming to work fairly consistently since he was about two, around 2016. What do they like best about work? Treats from our bookkeeper Leslie. How old are they? Reggie is 7. How/when did they join your family? Reggie joined the family in December of 2013 as a puppy. Tell us a little about their personality. Reggie is sweet dog who loves everyone. He loves treats, going on walks, going swimming, and snuggling with his mom, Christina.
District Court Welcomes Judge James Smith to the Bench by: Katie Kauffman
Welcome Judge James Smith! For those that don’t know him well, here is a little background about the newest addition to the Clark County District Court Bench, Department 3. He grew up in Mississippi with his family and when asked what the most Mississippi thing he did growing up his response was “I’m a poor example of a Mississipian” even though he thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors and was known to hit up a pool hall or two in Biloxi, while in college. He attended undergraduate at Mississippi State and law school at University of Mississippi School of Law. It was in undergrad where he met his now-wife in an anthropology class, although at first, they were just friendly classmates. After law school he decided to move out west and made his way to Washington to practice law. He and his wife have lived in Vancouver for the for the last 15 years. 12
They also reside with their feline, Roman, who has made various appearances over the last year and a half in zoom court dockets and interviews. Most recently, he has worked for the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in the Children’s Justice Center as the team leader. He has also worked in major crimes, served as the Interim Chief Criminal Deputy and was the Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Cowlitz County. Judge Smith has extensive trial experience, having tried over 120 felony cases. He and I have tried at least a handful or two of cases together and at every step of the way he was always professional, courteous, and prepared. He also has an excellent sense of humor, which one needs being in criminal practice.
Here are a few funs facts about Judge Smith: What is your favorite docket so far (week one)? Small claims. Listening to the different peoples stories on both sides, without attorneys was interesting and the parties were well prepared. What are you most looking forward to in district court as someone who is a newer participant (vs. superior)? You are at a point where you can make an impact. There is more opportunity for engagement of parties in district court, whether it be civil or criminal. The district court bench has been very innovative as well, and I look forward to being a part of that innovation. I don’t have preconceived notions either way, which I see as a pro, and I will have a broad perspective coming into district court. First concert? Bob Dylan 1994 or 1995 at the Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Did you ever get into trouble in school (and if so, give me the details)? I was sent to detention once for throwing a pencil at Chris Strange in trigonometry during some dispute we were having. I’m not sure what the dispute was and we generally got along. What was the first dance at your wedding? We didn’t have a first dance since neither of us are big into dancing. So, what was the best part of your wedding? The vows. I knew they would be meaningful but that was the best part. We eloped and got married in Sedona, Arizona, outdoors with just us. What was your most embarrassing moment at trial? My first trial was a juvenile bench trial in Cowlitz County of a reckless burning second degree that another attorney had handed off to me the night before trial. At 4:00 pm the 13
night before trial the defense attorney, who had been practicing for over 15 years, told me I should dismiss the case. I declined to do that. Five questions into the trial I realized I could not prove there was even a fire. My closing argument was essentially “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”. The judge was not buying that argument and found the respondent not guilty. Most memorable trial? Lyster trial. Are you going to miss going to trial? No. I enjoyed it but it will be good to set aside that role and take on a new role as a judge. I have wanted a different role for some time and trial is an extremely important, probably the most important, part of our justice system. I look forward to presiding over trial as a judge. It is a time where the community can weigh in during the justice process, which is not something that happens often and is very significant. Let’s talk about jury deliberations in district court – are you going to keep everyone there until 10+ pm like Judge Zimmerman used to (as you’re taking over his dept) or are you going to have a different approach? I will not keep juries until 9/10/11 but will take a case by case basis for after regular business hours. You don’t want the jury to feel like you are pushing them to come to a decision. What is your favorite beer/wine/cocktail? There are so many good microbrews here – lewitt and grains of wrath are two I like. I’m not really wine-knowledgeable even though I did work in a wine store in Memphis. I tend to like bourbon but it’s also weather dependent – on a hot day a G&T is perfect. What superpower would you have if you could have one? Teleportation (he answered this VERY quickly, so clearly it’s been thought of before). What is an ideal weekend day look like for you? I’d sleep in, which means until 8:00 – 8:30. I would then read the news while I drink coffee for about an hour and then maybe work in the garden. In the afternoon I would take a drive (Judge Smith has a Mazda Miata convertible) in the afternoon or evening. My wife may join, or it might just be me cruising the Columbia gorge area. Welcome to the bench, Judge Smith, I have no doubt you will be an excellent addition to Clark County District Court!
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HEARSAY PROFILE JONNY MCMULLEN
Home: Vancouver Age: 52 Profession: Criminal Defense Attorney Hobbies: Watch collecting, reading, photography (I have some really cool cameras, which I rely on as a substitute for real talent), and travel, which I haven’t done nearly enough of lately, but which I am definitely going to be doing more of soon. Last Book Read: For me, the silver lining of quarantine was the ability to catch up on reading non work-related subject matter. I recently finished 3 books which were all really good. The Power of Habit by Duhigg. You Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. (This guy is amazing and the book is an inspiration. It’s hard to believe what he is capable of accomplishing in an average day.) The Japanese Art of War by Cleary. I am fascinated by the history and philosophy of the Samurai and in this book a number of classic eastern philosophical works are distilled and nicely discussed. Legal Philosophy: “The operational word in every competent defense is attack. If you’re explaining and defending, you’re losing.” Something Gerry Spence said, that I always keep in mind. Latest Accomplishment: Thankfully, I have lost the weight that I gained during quarantine. It turns out that isolation coupled with Netflix and Hostess products were not my friends. You can imagine how guilty I felt gaining the weight while reading David Goggins’s book… Why I Do What I Do: I have never looked at being a criminal defense lawyer as something that I “do”, it’s really who I am. I remember telling my debate coach, before I was old enough to drive, that I couldn’t wait to be in court. The stars aligned and I honestly feel lucky every day to be here. I am able to have a meaningful impact on people’s lives and help them through the worst and scariest times that they will face. Plus, I get to interact with our legal community on a daily basis, people that I really enjoy seeing and have missed a lot over the past year. Beverage of Choice: Grey Goose and soda when it’s hot out, Irish Whiskey when it’s not.
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IRS Form W-9 By: Emanuela Sandri | Attorney Bookkeeping Services, Inc. Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, is a commonly used IRS to obtain information (taxpayer name and taxpayer identification number, and address for mailing) to prepare and report payments on information forms, such as 1099-NEC. This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=875VrMttWUE provides good information on how to fill out the W-9 for a sole proprietorship, single-member LLC (Limited Liability Company) and S Corporation. The W-9 form has much improved over time and is much clearer, and the instructions include the following useful chart on name and number to put on the form (please see footnote number 3 for item 6 not mentioned in the video):
Hearsay Profile: Mathew Kimball
Matthew Kimball “Matt” is the Indigent Defense Coordinator in Clark County, Washington. Clark County does not have a designated Office of Public Defense, so Matt works closely with the County and the Defense attorneys to ensure those accused of a crime are afforded the best representation for their defense. Matt grew up in Cowlitz County, Washington and graduated from Castle Rock High School. Matt has always been involved in his community as well as others near and far. Working in Public Service has always been held near and dear to his heart. When Matt was growing up, he was heavily involved in community outreach. He would travel with his church to help with community development in underprivileged and underdeveloped communities as close as Eugene, Oregon and Harlem, New York and as far away as Romania and Hungary where he would help build churches and schools and teach music.
Because of his passion for public service, Matt moved to Alaska and attended University of Alaska, Anchorage. He started school at his university to be a youth pastor, however, after realizing his dislike for public speaking, decided he would conquer that fear by working for a radio station. His job at the radio station, oddly enough, led to a job at a federal courthouse in Alaska, first in the IT department, and then as a Jury Clerk. Matt fell in love with the legal field. After budget cuts, Matt began working as a paralegal for a law firm in Alaska. After working as a paralegal in Alaska for several years, Matt landed a job as a paralegal in Spokane where he met his wife, Ashlynne.
Matt and Ashlynne moved back to Western Washington to be closer to family and to start their own family. Matt and Ashlynne have been married for six years and have one beautiful daughter named Adaline who is two years old. Matt and Ashlynne hope to have more children in the future.
Since Matt has been back from Spokane, he has worked as an Office Assistant III with the Indigent Defense Office (“IDO”), building relationships with attorneys, judges, and the county, and quickly becoming the Indigent Defense Coordinator. Matt is passionate about his position at IDO and greatly enjoys working with his co-workers, judges, the county, and especially the
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IN THE KNOW Clark County Bar Association News You Can Use
Barbara Peterson By: Victoria Kesala Long time Vancouver attorney and hearings officer at the Department of Licensing Barbara Peterson passed away on June 10, 2021. Barbara was an active volunteer in the original Guardianship Monitoring Program that I managed when I worked at the Clark County Clerk's Office in 2001-2002. It was a pilot program at that stage, uncharted territory, and we had vast amounts of cases that had not been reviewed in years, sometimes decades. Barb was an energetic and cheerful volunteer. She was happy to review large amounts of old documents and adept at identifying issues that required follow up action. I remember her as a bright spot in my work week - her fast-talking speech pattern, her ready smile and her empathy for the human beings behind the paperwork were memorable. She was able to switch instantly between expressing her quirky light-hearted sense of humor and expressing concern for the vulnerable people involved in guardianship cases and their family members. I appreciated how genuine she was and how she gave her time with an open heart. I would see her in the community from time to time after the pilot program ended, which always made me smile. She will be missed.
Retirement of Scott Jackson Please join us in conveying best wishes for a happy retirement to Scott Jackson. Scott joined the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office in July 1995. He came to us from Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office. During his tenure, Scott has been a member of several criminal trial teams, including Children’s Justice Center and Major Crimes. Scott has served as the office Chief Criminal Deputy from 2011 to 2015, and has served as Chief Deputy Prosecutor since 2015. Scott has been a hard-working, tenacious prosecutor throughout his career in Clark County, but more importantly, he has given his time and effort to help people. Scott mentored many younger attorneys throughout the years and was always available to answer questions, coach someone through a case or a tough issue, and just lend an ear to those in need. Scott’s kindness is unparalleled; he will be sorely missed by our office and by our entire legal community.
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
2022 Public Defense Contracts
Unconscious thoughts can sometimes bring to the fore ideas one might easily dismiss as unrealistic.
Clark County has issued a Request for Qualifications for One-year public defense contracts. The DEADLINE to submit Applications is September 10th, 2021. The RFQ and Application are available at: https://www.clark.wa.gov/ county-manager/indigent-defense
email:
Matthew.kimball@clark.wa.gov with any questions.
Law Library Using KeyCite to Verify the Status of Your Case or Statute You have free access to Westlaw through the Law Library homepage: (https://clark.wa.gov/ law-library) At the time of this writing, they are allowing up to 20 hours over a 14 day period per email address. Our subscription covers primary law from all states and federal, as well as many secondary sources and practice aids such as Washington Practice, Am Jur, sample pleadings, etc. When you are ready to verify the status of your case or statute, you can use KeyCite within Westlaw to do so (Shepardizing, as we all tend to call it, although of course Shepard’s is a Lexis product). For Cases: If you are viewing a list of cases in your search results and any of them have a colored flag next to them, click on the flag to go to the Negative Treatment tab and see how it has been impacted. If you have opened a case, you may click on the Negative Treatment tab to go straight there. Direct negative history, such as the case being overruled on appeal, will show first on the chart. Negative citing references are shown next, and the chart will indicate both the depth of treatment and headnotes affected on the right side of the chart, as below.
The History tab shows a visual representation of the route your case has taken.
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You may also use the Citing References tab to see all the documents that cite your case or statute. Again, a depth of treatment and headnotes affected will display on the right side of the chart. You can limit your view of the list by selecting the types of materials from the left column, using the Search within results feature, or by changing the sort order on the bar on top of the chart. Remember that you must use Boolean Terms and Connectors for Search within results.
For Statutes: The information provided is more straightforward. From the results list click on a flag to be taken to the History tab where the first result indicates the meaning of the flag. For example if you click on the red flag at RCW 26.10.160 this summary is the first item on the History tab that opens:
If instead you open the statute, Westlaw puts a warning about the flag across the top of the statute:
The status of a statute is clearly indicated in Westlaw.
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Clark County Bar Association CCBA BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES July 6, 2021
Minutes for the CCBA Board of Trustees Meeting July 6, 2021; Meeting via Zoom Called to order 12:09 p.m. Emrich, Jacobs, Larson, Phelan, Melnick, Gasperino (Darco present) June 2021 board meeting minutes: motion to approve (Phelan/Jacobs) Approved Treasurer’s Report (Melnick): Reviewed financial reports for June; Hearsay ad revenues made it a good month, still losses but not as much as projected, finances better at this point than last year at this same time. Ongoing Items Trustee Assignments
Hearsay: (Gasperino) No updates. Meeting on 7/9/21.
Social Committee: (Phelan) An end of summer bash is being planned for 8/28/21 at Fort Vancouver; it will be both indoors and outdoors; Beaches is catering; band?…, sponsors needed.
CLE Committee: (Darco for Spratt) Darco is contacting previous committee members to verify that they will continue to serve; wants to set schedule by September for the Nuts and Bolts CLEs; decisions to be made regarding going back to in person CLEs or using a hybrid in person/virtual format.
Membership:( Emrich for Aquadro) the committee is moving forward with meetings to plan a series of CLEs; some will be brown bag lunches and others will be traditional CLEs.
Request for Dues Modification for Indigent Defense Contractors (Emrich)
Discussion. No action taken regarding dues modification by legal practice area.
Previous Action Items: Clark County Courts Processes Evaluation/ Survey of Membership (Emrich)
There is a lot of court news right now. The District Court judicial hire is delayed now that there are two judicial openings. No second bar poll is needed as the applicants are the same.
The committee plans to do a survey to give CCBA members an opportunity to weigh in on issues, like court via Zoom for example.
Liberty is outdated and will no longer be supported after this December; a new system will be used. 28
Jessica Gurley’s position has been posted and it is anticipated it will take several months to fill.
Insurance – Abuse Procedures Policy (Darco) Tabled Nominating committee for board vacancies
The committee is discussing recruitment for the vacancies. They will have a slate for board approval in August.
Current Action Items: Membership Update (Darco)
414 members as of 6/1/21 (last year was 377). 39 people remain non-renewed.
2021/2022 Membership
Dues: no urgency to change dues. Issue will be the extent of reserves used. Dues haven’t been increased in 3 years. Membership forms: discussed format of membership forms and ideas. Darco will revise the form.
New Hire
Welcome Laurie Smith! The board approved her hire via email 6/30/21. Mariah’s last day is 7/22/21 and then she will work on The Hearsay part time.
General Meeting in September In person or virtual? Will send survey to determine what the majority of members want. Adjourned 12:50 p.m.
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Clark County Superior Court
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BENCH/BAR COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES July 13, 2021
Persons in attendance: Nicholas Alexander (nick@vancouverwillsandtrusts.com) James Smith (james.smith2@clark.wa.gov), Dan Lloyd (Dan.Lloyd@cityofvancouver. us) Jessi Anderson (jessi@ccvlp.org ) Jeff Keddie (Jefferyk@nwjustice.org) Lindsey Shafar (lindsey.shafar@clark.wa.gov) Le Ann Larson (leann.larson@clark.wa.gov) Curtis Welch (cwelch@sussmanshank.com) Philippe Knab (philippe.knab@nwjustice.org) Taylor Hallvik (taylor.hallvik@clark.wa.gov) Matthew Kimball (Matthew.Kimball@ clark.wa.gov) Sean Downs (sean@greccodowns.com) Judge Emily Sheldrick (Emily. sheldrick@clark.wa.gov) and Judge John Fairgrieve (John.Fairgrieve@clark.wa.gov) If you have matters that you would like to bring to the attention of the Bench/Bar, you are welcome to contact the above-mentioned members of the committee.
I.
OLD BUSINESS:
No old business to report. II.
NEW BUSINESS:
a. Judge Fairgrieve: In the process of hiring new administrator – interviewing finalist tomorrow. No timeline for when they will be offered or when they will start. Most candidates are currently employed, so not short term. Will keep everyone up-to-date. i. Where we are with COVID: Dept. Health and L&I recommendations came in – where we are at this point, as of July 19th new procedures being applied. If fully vaccinated no mask requirement. Information will be posted at entrance. If not fully vaccinated, masks are still required. No social distancing requirement at all. Guidance we were given requires no social distancing requirement at all. We were not provided guidance for courthouse. Will keep Plexiglas in courtrooms. Cases going up, not encouraging. But this will allow jury selection in the courtroom. Can do 4 or 5 jury trials at a time. We are averaging 50% capability. Either not being called ready or other reasons. Returning to normal courtroom operations on July 19th. Way forward for hearings, looking at remote means, specifically with criminal most hearings will be hybrid. Change of plea defendants need to be in-person. In-custody primarily still using zoom. Change of plea can be done via zoom by a special set and a case-by-case basis. Certainly, reasons why someone would want face-to-face or via zoom. Related to that is shackling – any 30
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time a criminal defendant comes in court with Judge a determination needs to be made if shackles are requested/required and a hearing will be held. Also related, we don’t have capacity to bring groups of defendants into a court room and unshackle them, can only handle one at a time. Courtroom G1 will be retrofitted so defendants can be unshackled – in attempt to move large number of defendants to the courthouse and unshackle them. No timeframe for completion.
ii. Judge Sheldrick: Of course, will allow people to wear masks if they prefer. iii. Judge Fairgrieve: Crim policy workgroup continuing to meet every week to figure out State v. Blake resentencing issues. Master schedule was the plan, but the major players have pulled out via a letter received a week and a half ago. PA’s office will put together a plan to see how they would like to see it handled. PA’s office believes there are about 800 of these cases that need resentencing. They anticipate argument with resentencing, and will take a while to accomplish. Reviewing process and procedure with how we are running our dockets with hybrid model. We anticipate Supreme Court will send rule changes for a more expansive use of remote hearing moving forward. We are 1. There is not a plan to request proof or sign any attestation that they are vaccinated if they go without masks. Except for Jurors, who are technically employees, there may be some attestation required there. b. James Smith: Supervised released will start again in-person effective July 19th. Blake resentencing issue. Unpublished opinion – right for defendant to address offender score. Potential issue out there we are following. c. Judge Sheldrick: Local court rules will be updated effective September1. LRC 6 provides that responsive documents no later than 2 days before hearing, reply brief no later than noon day before hearing, and no more than 4 pages. Domestic relations changes too. The Bar has circulated the new rules and they are available on the Superior Court website. Arbitrator panels update – attorneys can qualify after practicing for 5 years or retired judge. Also required is completion of a low-cost CLE
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on ethics. Working copies on civil dockets need to be provided at the same time of filing. The hearing office needs adequate time to review. i. Curt Welch: Can working copies be emailed?
1. Preference is that hard copies are generally preferred. Check with Dept. JA. In local rule practitioner needs to put date, judge etc., in right- hand corner.
d. Jessi Anderson: Still working on hiring for attorney for Unlawful Detainer docket, one offer given and they will start Aug 1. The other two positions we are casting wide net. Looking at equity and inclusion for hiring. CCVLP is going to be trying to help with Blake cases, if single possession charge, we have motion to provide to client for them to complete themselves. i. James Smith: Contact Aaron Bartlett who is handling it for us. e. Lindsey Shafar: Extended offer for office assistance, Ryan Kelce, will be coming on from public works. July 16th start f. Le Ann Larson: I am on the board and will let them know about Hearsay article on new local rules. Was just looking at new rule for proposed orders with headings and footers. Lisa has emailed out the links in the past so will be easy to get the word out. g. Sean Downs: OPD has provided funding for indigent def to assist individuals affected by Blake. Still leave the issue of people slipping through the cracks. Other news, the Crim policy meetings, clerks, attorneys agree on more narrowly scheduled hearings so the dockets won’t be so large; agreement that electronic forms should be used more often; Networks folders with county to avoid paperpushing. h. Jeff Keddie: Happy to hear keeping remote hearings, clients find it very helpful. UD docket was supposed to start last week, but didn’t, when does that start again? i. Jessi Anderson: Meeting today at 2 pm to answer those questions – likely after the 1st of august. ii. UGA - we are still having trouble bring on attorneys in those cases – do they need training? Raising rate? Struggle to ensure representation. iii. Commissioner Jill H. Sasser will be joining us (Bench/Bar) more regularly, more focused training, looking at compensation piece. Open to ideas on recruitment for UGA Minor Rep. 32
HEADER (CHANGE ON MASTER B)
iv. No formal announcement on Family Law evaluator. Announcement coming soon. v. Sliding scale for family law evaluator? Pro Tem meeting also important to get back to training. Interrupting racism CLE July 21 and 28 .
Respectfully Submitted, Nicholas Alexander
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