The Coronavirus: How are Courts Coping with the Crisis? Thursday, May 28, 2020 Episode:

What Will the Courthouse of the Future Look Like?

As more courts reopen many practical problems are emerging. How to social distance in courthouses and courtrooms that are ill-equipped for this kind of crisis? What kinds of traffic and crowd management tools are available? What will courthouses look like ten or fifteen years from now?

The panel discusses how courts will manage crowds of court users congregating at the courthouse entrance; thermal testing; litigant scheduling for high volume calendars; and physical changes to courtrooms themselves. Panel members also give their predictions as to what the courthouse of the future will look like with the age of Coronavirus.

Guest Speakers:

Angela S. "Angie" VanSchoick is the Court Administrator with the Town of Breckenridge Municipal Court. She is a licensed macro level social worker in the State of Colorado and Michigan, receiving her MSW from the University of Michigan in 2007. Her focus was on Policy, Evaluation, Community Organization, and Community Social Systems, which has provided her with a solid background to assist her Court and with the Colorado Association for Municipal Court Administration.

Dorothy Howell is the Division Manager with Probation for the Superior Court in East Orange, New Jersey, which is part of Newark. Dorothy has a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and is a Certified Court Executive from the National Center for State Courts.

Richard J. "Rick" Pierce is the Judicial Programs Administrator of the Judicial District Operations and Programs Department, at the Pennsylvania Administrative Office of the Courts. Prior to his current position, he was the district court administrator for Cumberland County. He graduated from Washington and Lee University, and received his Masters in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.

Elizabeth "Liz" Rambo is the Trial Court Administrator for Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated with high scholarship from Oregon State University with a BA in history and has an MBA from Portland State University.

Chris Gaddis has been the Court Administrator for the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County for 4 years. Prior to working for the court, he served 20 years in law enforcement with the last four years as Chief of Police. Mr. Gaddis is the current President of the Association of Washington Superior Court Administrators. He is also a member of the Washington State Jury Diversity Task Force and the Washington State Supreme Court Minority and Justice Commission Public Trust and Confidence Committee.

Zenell Brown has garnered respect both as Executive Court Administrator for the Third Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan, and for her ethical leadership and innovation. Zenell has a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School, a Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate from Central Michigan University, a Court Administration Certificate from Michigan State University, and is a Certified Diversity Professional from National Diversity Council-DiversityFirst.

Leave a question or comment about the episode at clapodcast@nacmnet.org.