fresno elections 2008

The courts exist for the benefit of the community. It is of paramount importance that the courts remain in tune with the needs of the community which they serve and evolve so that they can continue to provide meaningful and cost effective services not just to those that enter into the court system but to the community as a whole. The Community Court Model as applied to low level criminal offenses is but one example of a more creative approach to the administration of justice that the Superior court bench needs to explore. Community Courts have been used with great success in a number of other states and California counties and have benefited the community by decreasing recidivism and targeting specific sections of a community most in need of the court’s attention.

Many of the court’s records are public records and the courts should make access to these records as user friendly as possible. Today’s technology provides a great opportunity for improvement in this area. Much of this information can be made available to the public on line. Efficiency in the court system should be a priority for the Superior Court bench. Facilitating the expeditious handling of minor criminal and traffic offenses by providing easy access to necessary information and a means by which to resolve these cases quickly is certainly a worthy goal for the courts and in the long run also provides a direct cost benefit to the County.