Minutes
I. Opening Business:
A. The meeting convened at 12:00 o'clock noon. Members present included Hon. Donald Jorgensen; Professor Candace Zierdt; Hon. Ronald Goodman; Justice Carol Ronning Kapsner; Peggy Larson; Hon. Bill Severin; Hon. Zane Anderson; and Keithe Nelson.
B. The Commission Chair, Judge Jorgensen, welcomed all who were taking part. A special welcome went out to Judge Goodman, new member of the Commission.
II. Ongoing Business:
A. Chair Jorgensen drew the members' attention to the recent draft of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Education and requested members to provide any changes to the draft to Carla Kolling by June 6.
Keithe Nelson requested that we eliminate reference to mandatory education for court personnel in Goal 1.13. He stated that the administrative office does not have sufficient staff to monitor the education activities of all court personnel at this time.
Judges Jorgensen suggested to the members that they take Keithe's concerns into consideration and further discussion will take place at the June 13, 2001 meeting.
Judge Goodman indicated that Goal 2.2.1 Develop training programs to help court staff provide assistance to unrepresented persons, is an overwhelming and unrealistic goal and therefore should be removed. Justice Kapsner responded that when the planning committees met in Minot in February of 2000, there was uniform support by everyone that how to interact with the unrepresented was a necessary education issue and that protocol that addressed how to assist employees in dealing with the unrepresented was necessary.
B. Carla Kolling presented an update on the status of the Judicial Institute. She indicated that there were approximately 33 judges and referees registered for the program and on the first day 15 juvenile court directors and officers were registered.
C. Chair Jorgensen informed the members that Shawn Peterson has yet to be confirmed by the chair of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference. He said that the Executive Committee invited Robin Gense, President of the Juvenile Court Association, to fill the vacancy. Robin informed the Committee that the Juvenile Court Association had nominated Shawn Peterson, and as a result, he declined the invitation. Chair Jorgensen will be working with the Executive Committee and Robin Gense to get the matter resolved.
D. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13, 2001, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Fargo. Dinner will be served.
Respectfully submitted,
Carla Kolling
Staff