Issue 3, 2018 newsletter of the administrative office of pa courts Guardianship Tracking After careful research, design and development, Pennsylvania’s much-anticipated Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) is now live in almost every county. (continued on page 2) With the new Guardianship Tracking System, everyone wins After careful research, design and development, Pennsylvania’s much-anticipated Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) is now live in almost every county. Developed by AOPC/IT Court-appointed guardians of months, sometimes years. Among its and the Office of Elder incapacitated adults can now receive many benefits, the GTS will ensure that Justice in the Courts automatic reminders about important potential guardianship problems are under the direction filing dates and deadlines. They can identified and responded to quickly. and supervision of the file inventory forms and annual reports Advisory Council on online rather than having to go to Additionally, the GTS integrates Elder Justice in the Courts, the GTS their county courthouse to file reports guardian information into a statewide is a new web-based system in which manually. database rather than separate, guardians of adults of all ages, court individual county databases. staff, Orphans’ Court clerks and judges Historically, court staff in each county “This statewide collection of data will can file, manage, track and submit have been tasked with manually not only eliminate the potential for guardianship reports. scanning and filing guardians’ inventories and annual reports. an unsuitable guardian to relocate to The new system is designed with the However, the Elder Law Taskforce other counties, but will also generate goal of monitoring guardian activity noted in its final report to the Supreme information about guardianship trends in Pennsylvania while streamlining Court that the majority of Orphans’ that will help decision makers draft and improving the guardianship filing Court clerks reported that they do not laws and establish procedures to process. monitor whether inventory and annual better protect Pennsylvanians,” said reports are submitted by guardians. Amy Whitworth, AOPC/IT analyst “Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the manager. nation for the highest population The GTS will ease the burden of the percentage of elders,” said guardianship filing process for these Everyone involved in the development Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice court staff while ensuring that every and implementation of the GTS should Debra Todd. “As the commonwealth’s report is automatically reviewed. be very proud knowing that their aging population continues to grow, long-dedicated efforts have effected it is increasingly important to ensure Far too often people who are real change in the way Pennsylvania the protection of some of our most financially exploited do not realize protects its most vulnerable citizens. vulnerable citizens.” what has happened to them for 2 Editors Stacey Witalec Kim Bathgate Writer Casey Scheffler Contributors Patti Campbell Rhonda Hocker Stephen Baldwin Graphic Design Gretchen Smith Photography Justin Scott Court Administrator of PA Tom Darr Assistant Court Administrator of PA Andrea B. Tuominen, Esq. Harassment All content is collected, written and edited by the AOPC Communications Office training unless noted. You may reach the office by calling: (717) 231-3300 or by emailing: conducted [email protected] For more information about online Pennsylvania’s courts, visit the UJS website at: www.pacourts.us Twitter @PACourts Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court approved mandatory Facebook @pennsylvaniacourts harassment prevention training for all AOPC, appellate court and state-level Instagram @pennsylvaniacourts district court staff. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Participants were introduced to concepts and received practical guidance on how to identify the various types of harassment and recognize Thomas G. Saylor behaviors that may be considered inappropriate through videos inspired by Chief Justice of Pennsylvania real-life harassment cases. Max Baer The course also introduced staff to harassment prevention guidelines Justice through scenario building and outlining of both organizational and personal Debra Todd liabilities arising from any such transgressions. A manager’s version of the Justice training extended the employee version with discussion regarding the pitfalls and risks for failing to stop known harassment. Christine Donohue Justice Designed to engage participants and validate comprehension, a short quiz concluded the program and directed staff to policies and procedures Kevin M. Dougherty including specific reporting instructions. Justice While harassment prevention training is currently not required for all David N. Wecht employers in Pennsylvania, this training reinforced our long-standing Justice dedication to fair and equal treatment to all who work in or enter the commonwealth’s courts and related offices. Sallie Updyke Mundy Justice The Supreme Court is committed to promoting equal employment opportunity and non-discriminatory practices and this comprehensive training ensured that message was sent to staff. 3 However, the first month was mainly Cumberland County pilots text spent entering data into the system and getting people set-up to receive notification program alerts, so they plan to re-evaluate the program’s results after about six In an attempt to reduce the number of forgot’ as a valid excuse in front of a months, where they hope to see a people who fail to appear at scheduled judge.” more significant decline in that number. court dates, Cumberland County is piloting a mandatory electronic The notification program technology Calvanelli explained that court notification system that requires was developed by the County hearings are usually scheduled people to sign up for text or email Commissioners Association of months in advance and often times alerts about upcoming court hearings. Pennsylvania as a pilot for Cumberland when someone doesn’t show up, it’s County. because they either forgot or got the District Court Administrator for date wrong. Cumberland County, Melissa Calvanelli, Even if a defendant’s court absence explained that the county initially rolled slide to power off out the system in the fall of 2017 on is an innocent mistake, a failure-to- a volunteer basis, but only saw about appear warrant must be issued. This 100 people sign up to participate over ends up costing taxpayers thousands the six-month trial period. of dollars every year in additional staff time, paperwork and possibly jail time Beginning this past July, the system for the defendant. was rolled out again, but this time participation from everyone in the If the program reduces the number court system was mandatory. of failure-to-appear warrants by just six percent, it will end up paying for Alerts are sent out seven days prior to itself. Counties in other states including the scheduled court date and again “Other counties have shown a lot of Oregon and Washington have one day before. interest in the program and are waiting implemented similar programs and saw to see our results,” said Calvanelli. reductions in missed court dates by 30 “The first notification gives people to 50 percent. a heads-up to make arrangements According to Calvanelli, since the to find a babysitter, take off work or county rolled out the program on a If it’s deemed a success in Cumberland whatever they need to do to be able to mandatory basis in July, there has County and other counties decide to attend,” said Calvanelli. “The second been a slight downtick in the number implement similar programs, it could notification is a last-minute reminder of people who miss their scheduled end up reducing administrative court so people really can no longer use ‘I hearings. costs statewide. Lottery prizes now subject to intercept by Revenue A new law took effect in October If court-ordered obligations are found requiring the Pennsylvania Lottery to to exist, the AOPC must report the total check with the Administrative Office amount owed to the Department of of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) for any Revenue, which will be deducted from outstanding court judgments before the prize amount and used to satisfy awarding any winnings over $2,500. those obligations. Additionally, the new law requires that For any outstanding obligation that the Lottery check for any outstanding exists for either back taxes or court tax obligations with the Department of judgments, a $15 administrative Revenue as well. fee will be deducted from the final will not be eligible to receive any of the winnings that will go into the Lottery winnings. All Pennsylvania Lottery winnings Fund supporting benefits for older over $2,500 were already subject to Pennsylvanians. For Lottery winnings over $5,000, intercept by the Department of Human applicable income taxes will be Services for child support obligations, If obligations exceeding the prize withheld before any outstanding but the new law adds Revenue and amount are found to exist with any of obligations are intercepted. AOPC to that process. these three departments, the claimant 4 L to R: Becky Rider, Melanie Jesko and Ashley Mansberry Staff and community respond during Fayette County district court incident “I’m very thankful On Sep. 19, 2018, at the office of Office manager, Becky Rider, while Fayette County Magisterial District praying, attended to the wounded and proud of the Judge Daniel Shimshock in Masontown, wife who had been shot