Alaska Court System Annual Report FY 2018 July 1, 2017 -June 30, 2018
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Alaska Court System Annual Report FY 2018 July 1, 2017 -June 30, 2018 Alaska Court Locations, FY 2018 Utqiagvik Second Judicial District Kotzebue Fort Yukon Fourth Judicial District Nome Fairbanks Unalakleet Galena Nenana Delta Junction Tok Emmonak Hooper Bay Palmer Glennallen Aniak Bethel Anchorage Valdez Kenai Cordova Yakutat Skagway Seward Haines Dillingham Homer Juneau Naknek Hoonah St. Paul Third Judicial District Angoon Sitka Petersburg Kodiak Kake Wrangell Prince of Wales Ketchikan First Judicial District Sand Point Unalaska 303 K STREET ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 99501 CHRISTINE E. JOHNSON (907) 264-0548 Administrative Director FAX (907) 264-0881 The Alaska Court System is pleased to present its annualreport for the 2018 fiscal year. We publish this yearly overview of our work for everyone interested in the work of the Alaska judicial system.Thereportcontainsinformationthatcancontributetotheworkoflegislators, othergovernmentemployees, educators, researchers, themedia, andthegeneralpublic. Asa series, theseannualreportsnowprovideahistoryofjudicialoperationsthroughout thestate overseveraldecades. The report offers quantitative data on civil and criminal cases, budget information, and highlights of administrative operations. Wealso include acompletelist, withphotographs, of thejudicial officersandprimary court administratorswhoserved during FY 2018.Thereport contains maps of thefourjudicial districts anda selection ofscenic photographsfromacross thestate. TheAlaskaCourtSystemcontinuestomaintainahighstandardforjudicialexcellencewhilealso beingacarefulstewardofpublicresources. Webelievethisannualreportprovidesinsightinto howweaccomplishthis. Sincerely, Kelp forest in Icy Strait (First Judicial District) Alaska Court System Annual Report FY 2018 July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018 © Copyright 2018 by the Alaska Court System. Layout and compositing by Melissa S. Green, Field of Words, Anchorage, AK. Printed by Northern Printing, Inc., Anchorage, AK. A bookmarked PDF version of this annual report is available on the Alaska Court System website at http://www.courts.alaska.gov/. Note: The online version of this report includes additional judicial photos that did not appear in the printed version. Alaska from MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, 7 Nov 2011 iv Contents Alaska Court Locations, FY 2018 (map) ....................................................................................inside front cover Introduction to the Alaska Court System .............................................................................1 What is a Court Case? ............................................................................................................3 How are Judges Chosen? .......................................................................................................4 Other Justice System Participants .........................................................................................5 The Alaska Supreme Court ....................................................................................................6 Supreme Court Jurisdiction ....................................................................................................................6 Court of Appeals ....................................................................................................................8 Court of Appeals Jurisdiction ...............................................................................................................8 Trial Courts ............................................................................................................................8 Superior Court .........................................................................................................................................8 District Court ...........................................................................................................................................9 Year in Review .........................................................................................................................11 Year in Review ...................................................................................................................... 13 Highlights of Court System Work ....................................................................................... 14 Rural Court Changes .............................................................................................................................14 Rural Court Staffng, Fourth Judicial District, June 2018 ................................................................15 Alaska Jurors and Juries ........................................................................................................................16 Grand Juries ............................................................................................................................................16 Alaska State Court Law Library ..........................................................................................................17 Justice for All: Alaska’s Justice Ecosystem .........................................................................................18 Legal Navigator Portal ..........................................................................................................................18 Debt Collection ......................................................................................................................................19 Children’s Issues .....................................................................................................................................20 Aging and Legal Needs .........................................................................................................................21 Self-Help Services ..................................................................................................................................22 Early Resolution Program ....................................................................................................................23 Therapeutic Courts: Focus on Families .............................................................................................24 Meeting Interpretation Needs in Court .............................................................................................25 Relations with Tribes and Tribal Courts ............................................................................................26 Judicial Development ............................................................................................................................27 Revisions to Policy Prohibiting Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment ......................28 Alaska Criminal Justice Commission ..................................................................................................29 Criminal Justice Working Group .........................................................................................................30 Non-Judicial Employee Developments ............................................................................... 31 Conference of Clerks of Court ...........................................................................................................31 Employee Advisory Committee .........................................................................................................31 Healthcare Advocates ...........................................................................................................................32 Civic Education and Court System Outreach .....................................................................33 Supreme Court LIVE ...........................................................................................................................33 Success Inside and Out .........................................................................................................................34 Color of Justice ......................................................................................................................................35 v Developments in Technology ..............................................................................................36 The Lynx Project — E-Filing ..............................................................................................................36 The Website and Technical Innovations ............................................................................................37 Court System Facilities ........................................................................................................38 Court Buildings ......................................................................................................................................38 Court Security ........................................................................................................................................39 Budgetary Overview ............................................................................................................40 Figure B. Alaska Court System Budget within State of Alaska FY15 Operating Budget..................................40 Figure C. Alaska Court System Budget in Total Justice-Related Operating Budget, FY15 .................................41 Judges and Court Administrative Staff................................................................................43 Alaska Supreme Court .........................................................................................................45 Statewide Court Administration