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Tribal, Arizona and Pima County officials work to reunify families

Caitlin Schmidt

September 05, 2022 |

Arizona Daily Star |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Arizona

Lawyers, tribes, state agencies, judges, social workers, and a law professor in Arizona worked together to create the Pima County Superior Court's Indian Child Welfare Act Court. Since the court is specialized, cases are processed faster, outcomes have improved, and it protects the best interests of Native American children throughout the process.

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No child support, no hunting: Payments up under Utah policy

Zaid Jilani

August 13, 2022 |

NewsNation |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Utah

A new Utah law prevents residents who are more than $2,500 behind on child support payments from obtaining a hunting or fishing license, a strategy lawmakers say provides an incentive without legal ramifications that would affect parents' ability to care for their children in the future. Though the law only applies to a small portion of parents who owe child support, the state saw 494 individuals come into compliance after their hunting and fishing licenses were blocked, with payments increasing by nearly $2 million the year after the new law went into effect.

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24/7 Sobriety program developed in South Dakota could be rolled out nationwide

Stu Whitney

July 29, 2022 |

Aberdeen News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, South Dakota

The 24/7 Sobriety program requires repeat offenders of alcohol-related crimes to submit to breathalyzer tests twice a day as a condition of a pre-trial bond or sentencing agreement. Failure to remain sober results in jail time. Since 24/7 Sobriety started in 2005, there have been more than 39,000 participants and nearly 12.5 million tests administered, with a pass rate of 98.8%. Studies have also found a reduction in DUI and domestic violence arrests in states that adopt the program.

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Two Cities Took Different Approaches to Pandemic Court Closures. They Got Different Results.

Alec MacGillis

July 19, 2022 |

ProPublica |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wichita, Kansas

To curtail the societal ripple effects of prolonged court closures, Kansas' Sedgwick County courtrooms reopened with precautions just four months after initially shuttering due to COVID-19, and later brought in retired judges to help work through the court's backlog of cases. The Wichita court was able to perform more criminal jury trials at the height of the pandemic than other cities and actually saw homicides decline in 2021 as the nationwide murder rate climbed.

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Program aims to bring diversity from classrooms into courtrooms

Caitlin Schmidt

July 05, 2022 |

Arizona Daily Star |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Arizona

In an effort to diversify Arizona’s disproportionately white judiciary, legal professionals are volunteering in the state’s Legal Futures program to do outreach to high school and college students. The students spend face-to-face time with the professionals learning about career pathways and often leave with contact information to stay in touch.

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Wrongful Convictions Lawyers Cash In by Targeting Insurers

Roy Strom

June 21, 2022 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Idaho Falls, Idaho

The lawyers at Lathrop GPM created a strategy to settle civil rights claims by encouraging municipalities to use insurance money to pay settlements. The strategy helps inmates alleging bodily injury and wrongful conviction to recieve payouts and be absolved of their crimes without using taxpayer dollars.

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Metro Phoenix cities turn to homeless courts to help people navigate the justice system

Taylor Stevens

June 03, 2022 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mesa, Arizona

When people experiencing homelessness in Mesa, Ariz. are charged with low-level offenses such as trespassing or public intoxication, they have the option to participate in community court to get their case dismissed if they agree to seek help from government programs and services. Participants are assigned a "navigator" to help them obtain required identification documents, search for housing, or apply for jobs, and more than 90% of those who graduated from community court in 2021 have not ended up back in the legal system.

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How an Experimental Service in a Library Prevents Incarceration

Emily Nonko

June 01, 2022 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

The Tap In Center in St. Louis connects volunteer attorneys with people who have open warrants to work toward recalling them. Since the service launched a little over a year ago, nearly 300 warrants have been recalled.

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From prison to freedom: How a firm is helping detainees get justice

Mustapha Usman

April 30, 2022 |

International Centre for Investigative Reporting |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

The Headfort Foundation runs pro bono cases for incarcerated people in need of legal representation. The Foundation recently launched a Lawyers Without Borders initiative that grants easily accessible, free legal services to those in need by setting up mobile offices. This initiative alone has helped more than 175 people thus far.

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More Public Defense Spending

Emily Nonko

April 28, 2022 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Defender Association of Philadelphia practices community-oriented public defense — also known as "holistic defense" — to connect clients with support services and resources that help address the root causes of crimes. The association works with social workers, investigators, and paralegals to get clients access to housing, food, jobs, and healthcare, as well as mental health and substance use treatment, with more than 150 people referred to treatment providers between September 2016 and January 2017.

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