On September 29, 2005, the D.C. Courts held their24th Annual Employee Recognition and Awards Ceremonyin the third-floor atrium of the Moultrie Courthouse. Thewell-attended ceremony was an opportunity to formallyrecognize the hard work, dedication, and professionalismof the D.C. Courts’ staff.

Anne Wicks, Executive Officer, presided over theceremony which opened with an impressive rendition ofthe National Anthem by Andrew Moore of the CivilDivision and continued with welcoming remarks by ChiefJudge Eric Washington of the Court of Appeals and ChiefJudge Rufus King, III of the Superior Court.

Several employees were specially recognized fortheir significant contributions to the D.C. Courts. JonathanMotley, Deputy Clerk in the Probate Division, received theUnsung Hero Award for his work for the division.Jonathan offered to update the Standard OperatingProcedures (SOPs) to incorporate CourtView into the dailyworkings of the Probate Division. He also coordinated theEnglish to Spanish translation of general probate informa-tion.

Paul Trudeau, Domestic Relations Branch Chief,earned the Management Achievement Award for his dedi-

cation and spe-cialized knowl-edge in themanagement ofthe DomesticRelations

Full Court PressNewsletter of the District of Columbia Courts November/December 2005Open To All, Trusted By All, Justice For All Volume XXII Number 5

D.C. COURTS HOLD TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL EMPLOYEE RECOGNITIONAND AWARDS CEREMONY By Meredith J. Saladyga, Executive Office Intern

Branch, which includes areas such as divorce, custody, visita-tion, and legal separation. A 30-year veteran of the SuperiorCourt, Paul has been instrumental in many developments inhis area, such as the cross-training of the Domestic RelationsBranch staff across the Family Court, the creation of theFamily Court Self-Help Clinic, and the establishment of theFamily Court Case Coordinators.

Shirley Whitfield, Deputy Clerk in the Southeast FieldUnit of the Social Services Division, received the Public

Continued on page 7.

The music world’s newestsensation, Deaf Dog and theIndictments, brought downthe house!

Congratulations!Constance Hill receives recognition for 40 years of service fromCourt of Appeals Chief Judge Eric Washington and SuperiorCourt Chief Judge Rufus King.

Included in this issue:

2 Noël Anketell Kramer Sworn-In asCourt of Appeals Judge

3 Judge Cordero’s Investiture

3 Employee Open Seasons

4-5 Hispanic Heritage Pictures

6 Employee Awards Pictures

7 Summer of Honors

8 Employee Profile - Constance Hill

9 New Court Employees

10 One Family - One Picnic

11 Community Court Conference

12 RAVE REVIEWS

concerns. Judge Kramer became a part of the community, Ms.Moore said, through her commitment and her fondness for theEast of the River residents she met.

Judge Schwelb reflected on his long friendship withJudge Kramer before he administered the oath of office, assistedby the judge’s husband, Frank Kramer. The judge’s daughterKatherine, son Christopher and Ms. Jacqueline Waller, her JAAof 18 years, assisted in the robing.

Judge Kramer served as ajudge on the Superior Courtbeginning in 1984. She was amember of court committees thatinstituted the one-day-or-one-trialjury service system, that prepareda code of conduct for the judgesof the D.C. Courts, and that for-mulated the plan that changed thestandards for qualifying to repre-sent indigent defendants in theSuperior Court, which has servedas a model for changing similarstandards in the Family Court, theCourt of Appeals, and the U.S.District Court.

In 2002, Chief JudgeKing appointed her the Presiding

Judge of the Criminal Division, a position she held until 2005.As Ms. Moore described, during Judge Kramer’s tenure as thePresiding Judge, she helped to establish the East of the RiverCommunity Court, which heard all misdemeanor cases arisingfrom arrests in the area east of the Anacostia River (exceptdomestic violence).

Judge Kramer has also been involved in the D.C. Barand in addressing issues pertaining to women lawyers. In 2000,she served as the President of the National Association ofWomen Judges, and in 2002, she chaired its 25th annual meetinghere in the District of Columbia. She is also a long-time mem-ber of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia,which in May 2005 named her the Woman Lawyer of the Year.

Before becoming a judge on the Superior Court, JudgeKramer was an attorney at the firm of Wilmer, Cutler andPickering and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Districtof Columbia, where she was the Chief of the Grand JurySection.

Judge Kramer was born in Bay City, Michigan, which islocated on the shores of Lake Huron. She was raised by hermother, Ruth LeRoux Anketell, and her grandmother, AliceKing LeRoux. She graduated with honors from Vassar Collegeand from the University of Michigan Law School, where sheserved as the Constitutional and Criminal Law Editor of theLaw Review and as the first president of the University ofMichigan Women Law Student’s Association, now the largeststudent organization on the campus.

The Courts celebrated Judge Noël AnketellKramer’s investiture as a Court of Appeals Judge in aSeptember 12, 2005 ceremony in the Moultrie Courthouseatrium. Chief Judge Eric T. Washington presided over theevent, attended by scores of judges, dignitaries, friends,court staff, and other well-wishers. Judge Kramer’simmediate family, Franklin Kramer, her husband, andKatherine Anketell Kramer and Christopher AnketellKramer, her children, par-ticipated in the ceremony.Numerous members of herextended family – includingseveral lifelong friendsfrom Bay City, Michigan –were also present.

The Ballou HighSchool Color Guard pre-sented the colors, andRenard Rhinehart, of theSuperior Court, sang theNational Anthem. SuperiorCourt Judge Cheryl Long,who told the audience shehas known Judge Kramersince they were both prose-cutors in the U.S. Attorney’soffice in 1976, gave an interesting insight: white gloves.Judge Kramer was raised to wear white gloves to church,Judge Long related, and she continues to use that training,both in her gracious demeanor and in “mentally wearingwhite gloves,” or doing the right thing at all times. JudgeLong cited examples of Judge Kramer’s thoroughness andtoughness, elements of mentally wearing white gloves:doing her own crime scene investigation to find the keypiece of evidence to win a conviction or going into hercourtroom’s cellblock to help subdue an altercation amongprisoners.

Andrew Marks, Esq., former President of the D.C.Bar and a partner at Crowell & Moring, called JudgeKramer a strong leader and a consensus builder, sayingshe is erudite, practical, and creative. Perhaps the mostmoving speaker was Ms. Yvonne Moore, ANCCommissioner in Ward 7 and Vice President of theFairlawn Civic Association, who talked about JudgeKramer’s interaction with the East of the River communityas the presiding judge of the Community Court. Ms.Moore told the audience that the community was delightedand overwhelmed to have a judge come to the neighbor-hood, attend meetings at night, and learn the community’s

The Full Court Press is published by the District of ColumbiaCourts to provide information about the D.C. Courts.

Inquiries should be submitted to Room 1500.

Leah Gurowitz, Editor

Page 2

Judge Kramer waits for her daughter Katherine to complete her rob-ing; Clerk of Court Garland Pinkston, Judge Kramer’s JAA JacquelineWaller, the judge’s husband Frank and her son Christopher look on.

New Court of Appeals Judge: Noël Anketell KramerBy Marie Robertson, Senior Court Manager, Executive Office

Open Season Plan Highlights

Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Open Season:November 14th to December 12th, 2005

FSA and FEHB are pretax benefits to help cut costs for qualifying medical and dependent care expenses. The FEHB OpenSeason allows employees to enroll in a health care plan or make changes to their current plan. During the FSA Open Seasonemployees may enroll in the Health Care Savings Account and/or the Dependent Care Savings Account. Employees who are cur-rently enrolled in the FSA program must re-enroll to have their benefits continue in 2006.

Employees can meet with representatives from FEHB carriers in two different information sessions. On November 28, 2005at Gallery Place from 12noon to 2pm, federal health insurance carriers will explain their plans and the coverage provided.Employees may ask specific questions about what is covered by each of the various health insurance plans. On December 1, 2005in Moultrie Courthouse room 3300 from 10am to 2pm, federal health plan representatives will have materials available and cananswer general questions about their respective health plans.

Deferred Compensation Plans

The 2006 IRS maximum deferral limit is $15,000 for participating employees. The catch-up contribution IRS maximum is$5,000 for a total contribution of $20,000 in 2006, for eligible employees (those 50 and over). Employees may make changes in theirTSP enrollment at anytime, the TSP Open Season has been eliminated.

For more information about FSA, FEHB, and the Deferred Compensation Plans, employees may go to the HR intranet pageat http://dccweb.gov/opencms/export/courtsystem/hr/index.jsp.

Page 3

JUDGE LAURA CORDERO’S INVESTITURE HELD IN SEPTEMBERBy Meredith J. Saladyga, Executive Office Intern

Judge Laura Corderowas sworn in as the newestAssociate Judge of the D.C.Superior Court in a well-attended ceremony held onSeptember 2, 2005. ChiefJudge Rufus G. King, IIIpresided over the investiture,while Judge Ricardo M.Urbina of the U.S. DistrictCourt for the District ofColumbia administered theoath of office. JudgeCordero’s mother held theBible and she was robed byher three daughters, accom-panied by her husband.

The HonorableJames A. Parker of U.S.District Court for the District of NewMexico spoke of Judge Cordero’sreputation for hard work and herpleasant demeanor, compassion, andteam-player attitude. Judge Corderoserved a two-year term as JudgeParker’s law clerk following school.Judge Parker added that selectingJudge Cordero as a law clerk was

one of his “best decision[s] in many yearson the bench.”

Judge Cordero attended DePaulUniversity, where she earned a Bachelorof Arts in Political Science and a Bachelorof Arts in Mathematics in 1985. She thenearned her law degree from Harvard LawSchool in 1988.

Following her clerkship, JudgeCordero continued her dedication to pub-

lic service, as she worked in theVoting Section of the Civil RightsDivision for the Department ofJustice under the Attorney General’sHonor Law Graduate Program. In1993, she joined the United StatesAttorney’s Office for the District ofColumbia. In 1999, Judge Corderowas assigned as the first CommunityProsecutor stationed at theMetropolitan Police Department’sThird District, as part of the UnitedStates Attorney’s Office citywidecommunity prosecution program.

Immediately prior to herappointment to the bench, JudgeCordero was the Executive AssistantUnited States Attorney for ExternalAffairs, where her responsibilities

included developing, coordinating andmaintaining effective partnerships withfederal and local law enforcement, gov-ernment agencies and the community inthe District of Columbia. In this posi-tion, she also coordinated an extensivecommunity engagement network.Welcome, Judge Cordero!

Judge Cordero receives congratulations from her husband PoliMarmolejos and daughters Sofia, Cecilia, and Amalia, as ChiefJudge King and Superior Court Clerk Duane Delaney look on.

and an appreciative audience madethe first Hispanic Heritage

Month event a big success.

Hispanic Heritage Month

AAlliittttllee ssiinnggiinngg ......

AA lloottttaa ddaanncciinngg ......

Page 4

Page 5

2005 CORO Awards

Representatives of the GangIntervention Partnership Unit, MPDSergeant Juan D. Aguilar and OfficerTravis Barton, receive the CommunityAgency Award presented by JudgeRafael Díaz.

Members of the Domestic Violence Unit of the Superior Court, directed by PaulRoddy, accept the CORO Community Outreach Award.

Juvenile Probation Officer FreddieValentín, recipient of the Allan KleinSpecial Recognition Award, speaks tothe CORO Awards audience.

Achievement Recognition Award recipi-ent Denise Gilman, Esq., speaks pas-sionately about the courage of herclients and how they inspire her.

Anya Sykes of Ayuda, recipient of theLegal Community Award, spoke of theneeds of the immigrant community andher satisfaction at being able to providemuch needed legal representation.

Page 6

24th AnnualEmployee

Recognition andAwards

Ceremony

District of Columbia Court of Appeals Records Management &Courtroom Support Unit staff receives the Public Service Award(group) from Chief Judge Eric Washington and Chief Judge RufusKing.

Jonathan Motley, winner of the Unsung Hero Award, with ChiefJudge Rufus King and Chief Judge Eric Washington.

Paul Trudeau, winner of the Management Achievement Award and a30 year court employee, with Superior Court Chief Judge Rufus Kingand Court of Appeals Chief Judge Eric Washington.

Shirley Whitfield, winner of the Public Service Award (individual),receives her award from Chief Judge Eric Washington and ChiefJudge Rufus King.

Ken Foor, Greg Hale, Joe Kerrick, Barbara Hillebrand, Yuan Burns,and Sid Hare of the Information Technology Division receive theEnterprise Service Award from Chief Judge Eric Washington andChief Judge Rufus King.

Page 7

Service Award (individual) for going beyond the call ofduty to provide public service to the clients of the Unit.Shirley provides assistance to clients by offering tutoringservices for reading and writing, and she provides needyclients with valuable resources including food, clothing,and bus tokens.

The Public Service Award (group) went to theRecords Management and Courtroom Support Unit forthe Court of Appeals, which consists of four members:Kevin Brannon, Shawn Dickerson, Ricardo Green, andSupervisor Willie Conyers. This professional and dedi-cated team was recognized for meeting deadlines and pro-viding exemplary public service, which included filingover 1,000 customer requests for information, 500 calen-dar and screening sets, and filing 10,000 court documentsin active cases, among many of their other responsibili-ties.

The Information Technology Division, led by KenFoor, received the Enterprise Service Award for theirexcellent project management skills, implementing sever-al major initiatives, including the new Integrated JusticeInformation System. The division's strong sense of team-work and excellent coordination of multiple projects ---

lauded by the Government Accountability Office -- wasnoted by Executive Officer Anne Wicks in presenting theaward.

Many of the D.C. Courts’ staff received recogni-tion through the Performance Incentive Awards, whichacknowledge those employees with “Outstanding” per-formance and performance that “Exceeds Expectations.”Additionally, employees were presented with Length ofService Awards for their lasting commitment to service atthe D.C. Courts, with almost twenty employees receivingrecognition for over thirty years of service. ConstanceHill of the Probate Division was honored for her dedica-tion to the Courts with a record-setting forty years of serv-ice!

The ceremony was capped off by musical per-formances by Debra Swingon-Stokes of the ExecutiveOffice, and “Deaf Dog and the Indictments,” a Courthouseensemble consisting of Judges Franklin Burgess, JohnCampbell, Russell Canan, and William Jackson andMagistrate Judges Dennis Doyle, John McCabe, andWilliam Nooter. A wonderful reception followed the cere-mony. Special thanks goes to the Awards CeremonyCommittee, headed by Willard Stephens of the SocialServices Division.

Continued from page 1.

Uniform Laws when the Conference named her to the posi-tion at its August meeting. The Executive Committee, thegoverning body of the Conference which mostly consistsof its past presidents, heads the Conference in drafting theimportant uniform laws which shape modern United Stateslaw. Prior to this appointment, Judge Zeldon was chosenby Mayor Williams to be a Commissioner on theConference, where she served on the Drafting Committeeon the Uniform Adoption Act, the Drafting Committee forthe Uniform Arbitration Act and the Drafting Committeefor the Uniform Mediation Act.

In August, the Congressional Coalition onAdoption Institute named MagistrateJudge Karen Howze a 2005 “Angelin Adoption.” This award recognizesindividuals and organizations fromeach state and the District ofColumbia for outstanding work anddedication to orphans and foster chil-dren in the United States. Membersof Congress select the recipients of the award.

SUMMER OF HONORSBy Meredith J. Saladyga, Executive Office Intern

During the summer months, several Superior Courtjudges received honors for their contributions and dedica-tion. These honors span a wide range of impressive accom-plishments, and the D.C. Courts congratulate all three mem-bers of our judicial community on their hard work!

The National Conference of State Trial Judges(NCSTJ) recently named SuperiorCourt Judge Herbert Dixon as thenext Chair of the conference. TheNCSTJ is a leading conference of gen-eral jurisdiction trial judges in thenation and is a branch of the JudicialDivision of the American BarAssociation. Judge Dixon has already

implemented several new initiatives as Chair, includingincreasing use of the Conference Listservto put judges across the nation in contactwith one another for discussion ofConference topics.

Judge Joan Zeldon joined theExecutive Committee of the NationalConference of Commissioners on

the “Employee of the Year” award.When asked what she enjoys

most about her job, Constance quick-ly replied that she loves “workingwith the public and individuals.” Thearea of Small Estates involves proper-ty and estate matters, and with thatduty comes the opportunity to helpfamilies in difficult times.Constance, a self-described “peopleperson,” loves to help and strives tosend people away happy. She notesthat Small Estates is her “heart” andthat having a client call just to thankher for her help in an estate matter isone of the most rewarding parts ofher job. In addition to the opportuni-ty to assist the public, Constance alsoloves to work with her two special-ists, with whom she works closely onclient matters.

Constance has a very activelife outside of the Courts. Married toattorney Ronald Hill, Constance has

two children, businessowner EarlAbdulmalikMohammed andVeronica Hill, anattorney. She also hassix “bright and mag-nificent” grandchil-dren and three sisters.An avid fan of thefine arts, Constanceenjoys both visual andperformance art,including opera andclassical music. Shealso enjoys to travel,read, and write poetry.

Reflectingupon her time at the

Courts, Constance recalls severalmemorable experiences, including thetime she met Robert Kennedy, whocame to the U.S. District Courthousefor the investiture of JudgeSpottswood Robinson. She alsoremembers being one of the firstblack female employees to work inthe Probate Division. Affectionatelycalled the “Historian of ProbateMatters” by her colleagues, Constancehas thought about writing a book onher experiences at the Courts.

Perhaps Constance’s secret toa successful career at the Courts isderived from the enjoyment of herwork and her strong standards andwork ethic. At the end of each day,she strives to say, “I’ve done my verybest” because she says, “you can’t lieto yourself.” Constance has undoubt-edly done her very best for theCourts, and we thank her for hermany years of dedicated work!

Page 8

Looking aroundher office, you wouldhave no idea thatConstance Hill, BranchSupervisor of SmallEstates, ProbateDivision, has workedwith the D.C. Courts for40 years. Once you startspeaking to Constance,however, you quicklydiscover the years ofdedicated service she hasprovided to the Courtsand all of the wonderfulstories that go with thatservice.

Originally fromRichmond, Indiana,Constance attended Earlham Collegein Indiana. Prior to working at theCourts, she was a dental assistant andstay-at-home mom. Constance beganher tenure at the Courts in theProbate Division on March 16, 1964,after interviewing and getting hiredon the spot. At that time, the ProbateDivision was part of the U.S. DistrictCourt, so Constance and her col-leagues worked in the U.S. DistrictCourt building across the street fromthe Moultrie Courthouse.

Constance has held six dif-ferent positions as a court employee,including Records Clerk and BranchSupervisor of AdministrativeServices. She moved to SmallEstates in 1987 and became theBranch Supervisor in 1989.Additionally, Constance was the firstpart-time Courtroom Clerk for theProbate Division, working undernow - Senior Judge TheodoreNewman, Jr. In 1998, she received

EMPLOYEE PROFILE – CONSTANCE HILLBy Meredith J. Saladyga, Executive Office Intern

Reflecting on her many accomplishments, Constance proudly wears her 40year service award pin.

Page 9

Heather Schofield joined theMulti-Door Dispute ResolutionDivision team in July 2005 as a StaffAssistant for ADR Programs. Heathercurrently resides in Alexandria,Virginia and received a Bachelor ofScience in Political Science from EastCarolina University, and a Master ofScience in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from GeorgeMason University. Prior to arriving at the Courts, Heatherworked in publishing for 13 years, starting as anAdministrative Assistant at the National Geographic Societyand ending as a Production Editor for the National Academyof Sciences. She also spent many years volunteering as acertified Small Claims Mediator for the Virginia CourtSystem. Heather came to the D.C. Courts because shedecided she wanted to “work with people instead of paper.”She also wanted a change of career that would permit her to“work in the field of conflict resolution,” as she becameinterested in mediation several years ago. Heather felt thatshe would be able to quickly gain a great deal of experiencein this field by working for the D.C. Courts’ court-referredmediation program, which, she notes, has an “excellent rep-utation [nationwide].” Heather reports that the best parts ofthe job are the staff, who made her feel very welcome, andthe wonderful feelings associated with helping peopleresolve conflicts in a productive manner. In her spare timeHeather has developed an interest in hockey now that sheworks in such close proximity to the MCI Center, home ofthe Washington Capitals. Welcome, Heather!

Edward C. Clayton joined theCourts in the InformationTechnology Department as a QualityAssurance Computer Specialist inAugust 2005. A resident ofGaithersburg, Maryland, Edwardattended the University of Maryland,College Park. Edward has a depth

of experience in quality assurance: over the past 15 years, heworked as a quality assurance consultant with several com-panies, including MCI, Fannie Mae, and General Electric.Having worked as a consultant/contractor, Edward seizedthe opportunity to be a “permanent contributor” to theCourts’ long-term IT goals, which include implementing andmaintaining CourtView. Edward most enjoys “being part ofan outstanding team [and] working on a state-of-the-artsolution to the Courts case management responsibility.”Edward has been happily married for twenty-four years, andhe is the proud father of Dhonielle, a 2005 Wake Forest

NEW EMPLOYEES JOIN THE COURTSBy Meredith J. Saladyga, Executive Office Intern

graduate, and Brandon, a sophomore at HamptonUniversity. Outside of work, he enjoys reading sciencefiction and partaking in his wife’s cooking. Welcomeaboard, Edward!

Estrellita Hicks startedwork as a Family Court Mediatorwith the Multi-Door DisputeResolution Division in August2005. A native of Oakland,California, Estrellita moved to theD.C. metropolitan area in 1991.She comes to the Courts with abroad range of educational experience, earning a Bachelorof Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology fromSaint Mary’s College of California and a Master of Arts inCounseling Psychology from Bowie State University.Prior to coming to the Courts, Estrellita’s work history,spanning over 13 years, includes the positions ofTherapist, Manager of Training & Development, IntensiveClinical Case Manager, Senior Health InformationSpecialist, Hotline Shift Coordinator, and Mental Health,Crisis Intervention, and Substance Abuse Counselor. As aFamily Court Mediator, Estrellita feels privileged to havethe chance “to help people reach mutually acceptableagreements that meet their needs and the needs of theirchildren” and finds this work “is incredibly meaning-ful…and a tremendous honor.” When she is not workinghard at the Courts, she enjoys playing Scrabble, contem-porary art, and classic martial arts movies. Welcome,Estrellita!

Yolanda C. Mills joined the Courts as aCourtroom Clerk in the Criminal Division in July 2005.

A native of Washington, D.C.,Yolanda received a Bachelor of Artsfrom American University and plansto complete a Master of Science inAdministration from the CentralMichigan University ExtendedLearning Program in April of 2006.Yolanda previously worked as aJuvenile Probation Officer for the

State of Maryland, and was also a Staff Analyst for theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Thepossibilities for career growth and opportunities to use hervarious skills appealed to Yolanda when she chose a jobat the Courts. Yolanda’s favorite part of her job is work-ing with her colleagues because they are “patient, nice,and extremely hardworking.” Welcome to the Courts,Yolanda!

Page 10

“ONE FAMILY - ONE PICNIC”By Toni F. Gore, Supervisor, Domestic Relations Branch, Family Court

Under the vigorous and dedicated leadership of Presiding Judge Lee F. Satterfield, DeputyPresiding Judge Anita Josey-Herring, and Family Court Operations Director Dianne King, the FamilyCourt team members are developing a bond that transcends the physical boundaries of the MoultrieCourthouse.

On Saturday, September 10, 2005, at Rock Creek Park, that bond was highly visible at the annualFamily Court picnic, a collaboration between the Family Court judicial officers and court personnel. Inaddition to that collaboration, other factors in the picnic’s success included perfect weather, good conversation, a delicious assortment of food, t-shirts and tons of fun-filled activities for the children andthe adults. The theme of the day was “One Family--One Picnic.” Like most memorable events, specialmoments were captured on film and each picture is truly worth a thousand words.

Stephanie Minor-Harper and Dianne

King listen intently.

Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo and daughter Lourdes enjoy thefestivities.

Charles Gaines - the wild gour -met.

Magistrate Judge Howze and JudgeJosey-Herring take a break from the fes-tivities.

Toni F. Gore, Janeta Cousar and Magistrate JudgeJulie Breslow prove they are 'family-oriented'. Geneva Murphy and Sheila

Gilstrap pose for the camera.

Gideon, Kerry, and Mark take part in different activities.

Page 11

Other highlights of the conference included:

u A dynamic keynote address on the topic of “The Importance of Partnerships in Enhancing the Quality of Life of CityResidents” by Rev. Donald Isaac, Executive Director, East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership.

u A thought-provoking panel discussion on “Partnering with the DC Community Courts” with Judge Keary, Magistrate JudgeRingell, Elizabeth Wingo from the D.C. Attorney General’s Office; Lisa Baskerville Greene, from the D.C. US Attorney’sOffice; Joseph Jorgens, a defense attorney; Ed Moody, from the D.C. Department of Employment Services; and KeelonHawkins from the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency.

u A presentation by Chris Watler from the Center for Court Innovation (CCI) on “The Community Court Model.” (CCI has pro-vided extensive assistance to the D.C. Community Courts and in 1993 launched the nation’s first community court, theMidtown Community Court in Manhattan).

u Informative overviews of the East of the River Community Court Needs Assessment and Recommendations Reports pre-pared by Criminal Division staff and CCI, and the D.C. Misdemeanor and Traffic Community Court Needs - Assessment andRecommendations Report prepared by CCE.

u Luncheon remarks on “How Community Courts Improve Criminal Justice in D.C. But Require Partnerships” by CJCCExecutive Director Nancy Ware.

u An interesting and lively group discussion on “Developing Solutions to Support the Community Courts.”

u An important outcome of the conference was that the attendees identified additional potential partnerships between theCommunity Courts and D.C. government agencies. Steps have already been taken to begin implementing these ideas.

u Conference organizers would like to thank the Offices’ of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and D.C. DeputyMayor for Children, Youth, Families, and Elders, as well as D.C. Court staff for contributing to the success of the event.

On Thursday, September 29,2005, the Superior Court hosted a con-ference: “Community Courts: WorkingTogether for D.C.” The conferencewas an initiative of the CriminalDivision’s Management Action Plan toenhance the Community Courts bystrengthening their partnership withD.C. government agencies.

The all-day conference began withan overview of the D.C. Misdemeanorand Traffic Community Court, theEast of the River Community Court,and the community court movement nationwide. The pre-senters then detailed the need for increased access byCommunity Court defendants to social services provided byD.C. government and private non-profit agencies, and dis-cussed the need for D.C. government agencies to provide anincreased number of community service opportunities fordefendants. The conference then provided a forum for atten-dees to strategize on ways to address crime to improve thequality of life in the District.

Officials and representatives from the D.C. CityCouncil, government agencies, criminal justice agencies, theSuperior Court Trial Lawyers Association, private non-profit

COMMUNITY COURT CONFERENCEINCREASES PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES

By Michael O. Francis, Community Court Coordinator, Criminal Division

social services agencies, and theD.C. Courts were invited to the con-ference. Attendees included ChiefJudge Rufus King; Judge NoëlKramer, Judge Ann Keary,Magistrate Judge Richard Ringell,Councilmember Carol Schwartz;Deputy Mayors Edward Reiskin andNeil Albert; DMV Director AnneWitt; Pretrial Services AgencyDirector Susan Shaffer; AttorneyGeneral Robert Spagnoletti; CSOSADirector Paul Quander; PDS Director

Avis Buchanan; Tom Hibarger, Chief of the Superior CourtBranch of the D.C. US Attorney’s Office; Tara Jones, InterimDirector of the D.C. Office of Neighborhood Services;Commander Evelyn Primas of MPD; Criminal JusticeCoordinating Council (CJCC) Executive Director Nancy Ware;and June Kress, Executive Director, Council for CourtExcellence (CCE).

Judge Kramer and Chief Judge King opened the conferencewith some very inspiring welcoming remarks that set a wonder-ful tone for the conference. Criminal Division Director DanCipullo followed with a history of the Community Courts inD.C.

-----Original Message-----

From: Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 7:33 PM

To: webmaster@dcsc.gov

Subject: Superior Court feedback

I was called for and reported for one day/one

trial jury duty in the Superior Court on October

21, 2005. I had requested an automatic defer-

ral because of a work travel conflict, and was

pleased with the simple deferral process. A

larger pool of jurors was on hand than I have

seen in previous years. Nonetheless, I thought

that the system worked efficiently and smooth-

ly and the clerks were professional and help-

ful. I was impressed with the manner in which

Judge Retchin managed her courtroom. Her

explanations of the proceedings were clear

and direct. Although I did not get the opportu-

nity to serve on the jury (the jury was filled two

slots before me), I thought the experience was

very positive.

Lynn Flanagan

OOOOO Rave Reviews OOOOO

Page 12

Re: Sasha Vance’s Excellent Customer

Service

Dear Mr. Monroe:

I am writing this letter by way of

expressing my sincere appreciation for the

assistance Ms. Sasha Vance recently provid-

ed to me in my efforts to obtain records of

my daughter’s name change. Since my

daughter currently lives abroad and needed

proof of this to present to the U.S. Embassy

by a certain deadline, time was of the

essence. As a result of Ms. Vance’s help, I

was able to get the certified copies to my

daughter …and she will be safely back on

these shores by the end of this week. For this

I am grateful.

Again, mere words cannot express

how much I appreciated the help I received in

this matter. Excellent customer service was

clearly demonstrated by your office and it

meant a great deal to my family.

Sincerely,

Sondra M. Bennett

September 15, 2005Juror Office Superior Court of The District ofColumbia 500 Indiana Ave NW Washington, DC20001Dear Mrs. Bailey-Jones,I am writing this letter to show my appreciation ofyour employee Mr. Gary Farris. Mr. Farris displayed

outstanding customer service and professionalism fromthe time he answered the phone. The department islucky to have such a courteous and capable employee.Mr. Farris made what could have been a stressful situ-ation into an accommodating and pleasant experience.

June 8, 2005Dear Judge King:

I write you concerning Ms.Tanna McDowell. Sheis the Courtroom Clerk assigned to courtroom 120, com-monly known as Traffic Court. As you know, on any givenday that calendar may have over 40 matters, from statushearing to trials.

Each time I have a case in there I am amazed atMs. McDowell’s ability to run an extremely hectic calendarwith poise, efficiency and courtesy. Ms. McDowell is pleas-ant and professional to all parties and defendants. That cal-endar only proceeds in a fair and effective manner becauseof her hard work and meticulous organizational skills. Sheis a pleasure to work with. I would ask that this letter beplaced in her personnel file.