DEPARTMENT: Municipal Court
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Presiding Judge John W. Bull
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT:
A Municipal Court update concerning the Municipal Court Clerk certification program, and funding for the Juvenile Case Manager Program
SUMMARY:
Municipal Court of Record Clerks, and Warrant Officers are required to obtain the Municipal Court Clerk Certification, level I, within 18 months of date of hire. Municipal Court of Record Clerk Supervisors and Warrant Supervisors are required to obtain a Level II, within 18 months of date of hire.
Funding for the San Antonio Municipal Court’s Juvenile Case Management Program is provided for by state and local court costs. Current statute allows the court to collect $5.00 for a juvenile case manager fund (“JCMF”), and $2.00 for a truancy prevention and diversion fund (“TPF”). The City keeps $1.00 and $1.00 is remitted to the State.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Court Clerk Certification Program
The Municipal Court Clerk Certification policy’s purpose is to enhance professionalism and educational development for court staff. For the court’s purposes, the program will emphasize the City’s CORE values and will raise the level of professionalism and competence in the fair and impartial administration of justice. The program requires forty hours of education, successful completion of a 4-hour exam, and twelve hours of continuing education each year.
New for fiscal year 2017, clerks will be eligible to receive certification pay when they test and successfully complete a certification level beyond their job requirement.
Juvenile Case Manager Program
The San Antonio Municipal Court’s Juvenile Case Management Program currently has 20 dedicated positions with a campus-based intervention system. The court’s case manager program handles cases from charter schools, and all school districts within the greater metropolitan area and within Bexar County.
The San Antonio Truancy Court model focuses on juvenile case managers assigned to individual school districts to provide intervention and prevention services for at-risk children. Case managers work with students through diversionary methods to decrease subsequent court truancy filings. The San Antonio Municipal Court handles cases related to school attendance from elementary through high school in Bexar County, with a service population of approximately 380,000 children.
Art. 45.056 (2) (b) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure states that an entity may apply to the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office for reimbursement of the costs of employing juvenile case managers. Eligibility for reimbursement is based on a comprehensive plan, provided by the entity, to reduce juvenile crime in the corresponding jurisdiction. The plan must state the role of the case manager in the crime reduction effort.
The court has created a comprehensive plan for submission to the Governor’s Office. Key components of the court’s plan include:
1) 1-2 case managers per school district to track truancy trends, and identify and monitor students being cited for offenses such as assault and theft.
2) Prior to escalation of truancy incidences and/or citations, case managers offer a voluntary pre-court diversionary contract to the student and his/her family.
3) Upon escalation, the student is referred to a judge for mediation.
4) During the mediation process, if a student fails to meet requirements, they are placed in mediation review.
Securing additional funding would allow the City of San Antonio, through the juvenile case management process, to maximize youth services for at-risk children at every school district within Bexar County.
RECOMMENDATION:
No action required. This item is for briefing purposes only.