NJ Supreme Court releases 'Equal Justice' progress report

By: William Westhoven
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... One year, after it reielase its "Action Plan for ensuring Equal Justice," the New Jersey Supreme Court released a progress report on its racial justice efforts and a list of nine more changes it plans to pursue in the second year of its historic reforms.
..... The 2020 action plan "resulted in measurable benefits to people of color and other who historically have been undeserved by or marginalized within the justice system," the progress report reads.
..... Continuing a process begun in the wake of George Floyd's murder, the court said it's pursuing a raft of additional reforms including mandatory implicit bias training for court staff, expanding access to legal representation and greater safeguards for those with mental illness who become involved with the legal system.
..... The progress report focused on issues over the past year "that disproportionately affect defendants of color, those living in poverty, with addiction or mental illness as they move through the court system," according to a statement released Wednesday. [08/25/2021]
..... The action plan "included support for juror impartiality reducing time frames for post-dispositional supervision; more support for juvenile rehabilitation; requiring anti-bias continuing legal education for judges and attorneys; using new technology to streamline expungements; improving the landlord-tenant process and other measures to streamline court processes and access to court records.
..... "These ongoing, interrelated efforts are designed to support greater access, fairness and equity for all who seek justice through the New Kersey courts, especially for individuals and communities who throughout history have been underrepresented and as a result have experience less than true equality under the law," the statement reads.
..... Regarding juror impartiality, the court last month [07/2021] approved new jury selection questions and additions to model jury instructions "to support juror impartiality and reduce the effects of implicit bias." those changes were implemented after the court requested and reviewed public comments on the draft proposals.
..... Hoping to improve the juvenile rehabilitation process, the court in October [2020] vacated more that $140,000 in discretionary juvenile fines and vacated open failure-to-appear juvenile warrants issued more than five years ago for non-violent or lesser charges.
..... "The young people who owe those fines - including disproportionate number of youth of color - overwhelmingly lack the capacity to make necessary payments, and the fines serve only to prolong involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems." the court determined.
..... The court also implemented new anti-bias training early this year [2021] in the form of virtual continuing legal education courses. "To date, more than 3,500 individuals have participated in the judiciary interactive virtual progress," the court stated.
..... The judiciary expanded the Statewide Violation Bureau Schedule to add more than 400 additional matters for which defendants can plead guilty without a court appearance. It also enhanced the out of court appearance. It also enhanced the NJMCdirect.com Online portal to allow Online payments without court appearances for non-traffic matters and allow payment by monthly installment,

What's next?

..... The 20-page update released Wednesday [08/25/2021] announced a revised list of goals for the second year of the initiative:
* Improving procedural safeguards and equitable outcomes for individuals with mental health challenges who are involved with the justice system;
* supporting employment opportunities for clients and graduates of judiciary drug court and probation programs;
* Requiring training on implicit bias and elimination of bias for all judiciary employees;
* Integrating equity impact analysis tools to support consideration of (and mitigation against) potential disparities in court policies and protocols;
* Expanding access to legal representation at all levels of the courts;
* Broadening diversity and inclusion in legal and non-legal court appointments;
* Supporting fairness for children of unmarred parents through critical examination of the non-dissolution; and
* Using language that is inclusive and easy to understanding court communications.
..... The revised plan "commits to initiative that will yield immediate results as well as procedural and operational improvements that will proposition the New Jersey courts as a leader in fostering a system of justice that is accessible, equitable and free from structural barriers and biases,' the court's statement reads.

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