Court Talk

Booooooooo! Did we scare you? If you aren’t scared now, you probably will be by the end of this special episode. Moderator Jesse Rutledge speaks with ghost hunter Douglas Myers about the spooky sightings court staff has witnessed at the Wayne County Courthouse in Wooster, Ohio. Shelle Stormoe, former education outreach coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, also shares a terrifying story about the ‘hanging judge’ that looms around the Desha County Courthouse in Arkansas City. 

In many states, dangerous defendants or those who pose as flight risks can buy their way out of jail before trial if they have access to the money required to post bail -- while large numbers of poorer defendants who are neither dangerous nor flight risks are locked up simply for lack of money. New Mexico Chief Justice Charles Daniels discusses how several state court systems are reforming this system of pre-trial justice, or injustice, as many are calling it. 

It’s not as sexy as Presidential politics, but voters in several states are being asked to give thumbs up or thumbs down on a number of policy proposals, including mandatory judicial retirement. Host Jesse Rutledge checks in with Gavel to Gavel (http://gaveltogavel.us) blogger Bill Raftery to see what voters should be looking for when they get down the ballot on election day. Waaaaay down the ballot.

Police use of body-worn cameras is rapidly increasing as a way to increase the public’s confidence and trust in law enforcement. But how does this increase of evidence impact state courts? Greg Hurley discusses benefits and challenges that body-worn cameras bring to courts.

Americans deserve a civil legal process that is fair and timely for everyone – rich or poor, individuals or businesses. Yet, the opposite has been happening with runaway costs and excessive delays. The Conference of Chief Justices is leading the charge to change this. Following an 18-month study, the CCJ Civil Justice Improvements Committee has released its recommendations to make the civil justice system more accessible to all. Listen to NCSC Principal Court Research Consultant Paula Hannaford-Agor discuss the project.

In this episode of Court Talk, host Jesse Rutledge speaks with Judge Jimmie Edwards of the 22nd Judicial Circuit in St. Louis, Missouri, about the confidence gap in the courts. Why do minority communities exhibit such less confidence, and how can judges (and others) restore some lost faith. Hear Judge Edwards discuss one of his proposed solutions: judges should stop “sentencing while mad."

In this special edition of Court Talk, Carmel Capati, nationally recognized manager of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Interpreter Program, tells us why providing language access is so critical to protecting people’s rights -- and why just being bilingual does not make a person a qualified court interpreter.

Host Jesse Rutledge asks Miami-Dade County Judge Steve Leifman about his experiences with people with mental illnesses and how he changed the way his courts deal with these individuals. The results are dramatic: people are getting treatment, courts and jails are no longer overcrowded, and taxpayers are saving millions.

Host Jesse Rutledge sits down with California Chief Justice Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye to discuss the impact that television shows, such as “Making a Murderer,” have on the public’s perception of and trust in the courts.