Nov. 17, 2011
Specialized Dockets Conference Features Sessions on Supreme Court Standards
More than 360 professionals involved in specialized dockets in courts across Ohio met today at the Supreme Court of Ohio’s annual Ohio Specialized Docket Practitioner Network conference and learned more about new Supreme Court certification standards that take effect in 2013.
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor opened the eighth annual conference. She said the standards are intended to create a minimum level of uniform practices while still allowing courts to tailor operations to meet local needs. She said the goal of implementing the standards is not to have a “cookie cutter” operation. She also pointed out the importance of collecting data to prove that specialized dockets are working.
Since the establishment of the Hamilton County Drug Court in 1995, Ohio has been recognized as a national leader in the implementation of specialized dockets. In 2001, the Supreme Court created the Specialized Dockets Section to assist and support local courts in developing specialized programs uniquely tailored to helping specific populations within the court system. Today, there are nearly 150 specialized dockets operating in Ohio including drug courts, mental health courts, re-entry courts, OVI courts, veterans courts, sex offender courts, felony non-support courts and domestic violence courts.
The Supreme Court, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Mental Health have recognized the need for interaction among the professionals who staff these courts. In order to provide such a forum, the Ohio Specialized Docket Practitioner Network was created to provide training, peer support and technical assistance to these programs.