Court Records Blog

Problem-Solving Courts – also known as Accountability Courts - are programs developed by many court systems to impose treatment plans and other forms of rehabilitation on some criminal offenders who would otherwise face jail time and the stigma of a criminal record. They reduce the judicial system caseload and the prison population while helping offenders with drug, mental health, and similar problems. We covered Mental Health Courts in April 2008, Drug Courts in October 2008, and Veterans Courts in January 2011.

Family Dependency Treatment Courts are another type of Accountability Court, and they’re different in that their treatment plans include not only the offender, but also his or her family. In cases of child abuse and neglect caused by parents’ drug or alcohol problems, the offender is not the only person who needs help. While typical Drug Court programs focus on stopping the offender’s substance abuse, Family Dependency Treatment Courts have additional goals: to improve the offender’s parenting skills, stop child abuse and neglect, and keep families together.

These programs use multi-disciplinary teams of judges, prosecutors, childrens’ advocates, parent attorneys (or Public Defenders) and treatment providers. Requirements for successful completion of the program may include intensive treatment and counseling, periodic court sessions, drug testing, and parenting classes.

Family Dependency Treatment Courts are voluntary programs and are not open to all offenders; the offender must apply and be accepted. Successful completion of the program means the offender does not go to jail, does not have a criminal record, is clean and sober. And last but not least, the family is intact and child abuse and neglect has stopped.

The first such program was the Family Drug Court of  Nevada’s 2nd Judicial District in Reno, set up in 1994 and still in operation. The concept has now been adopted in nearly every state. Georgia was an early adopter of Accountability Courts and has multiple types in nearly every county. It currently has 10 Family Dependency Treatment Courts covering 13 counties. The Appalachian Judicial Circuit Family Drug Court includes Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens Counties. Chatham County Family Dependency Treatment Court is an example of a single-county program.

Washington is just one of many other states with similar programs, including the King County Family Treatment Court. Additional examples may be found in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Ohio. Check CourtReference to see if your state or county has a similar program; look for descriptions under the Self-Help and Legal Research Category that mention “family treatment court” or “family drug court” or similar language.

Have you ever thought your property taxes might be too high because the tax assessor over-valued your house? Have you been thinking more about that as housing sales and prices have plummeted during the past few years? If so, you might have taken the time to complain to the assessor. My own assessment notice says, “If you believe the new value is incorrect (too high or too low) compared to your estimate of market value, please contact us to review your property characteristics.” I will leave the issue of appealing a value that is “too low” to some humorist to discuss.

My assessment has gone down recently, so it looks like my assessor is doing his job. But what if you think yours isn’t? You’ll need to research comparable values in your neighborhood, gather evidence about your home’s condition and anything else you think might make a difference, and be prepared to make a convincing argument.

In most areas, the standard procedure is to first meet with the assessor. If that doesn’t result in a lower assessment, you can file an appeal with your local taxing board. Every taxing jurisdiction provides some way to do that; my assessment notice says I have to file an appeal with the Board of Equalization. Yours might be called the Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board or something similar. If the local appeals board doesn’t lower your assessment, your next step is to appeal the local board’s decision. In many states, that next appeal is to a statewide board. For example, a King County, Washington appeal goes first to the King County Department of Assessments, then to the Washington Board of Tax Appeals.

If the final board ruling is not in your favor, you can appeal to court. Which court depends on your state’s court system; it might be a local court, or it might be a specialized statewide tax court. Appeals from the state Board of Tax Appeals go to  Superior Courts in Washington State. In contrast, the Tax Court of New Jersey hears appeals of decisions of a local county Board of Taxation; with a specialized Tax Court there is no need for a statewide appeal board.

Going to court can be complicated and expensive, for you and the taxing authority – and the judicial system. Given the increased attention people are paying to their property taxes in these tough times, local taxing authorities and state court systems are looking for ways to simplify the process, and to provide more ways to resolve assessment disputes without going to court. The internet helps with both of those goals; most local taxing authorities have websites with detailed instructions for appealing your assessment.

New York State has an innovative program called Small Claims Assessment Review, which allows a residential homeowner to petition the court for a hearing before a trained officer for only $30. Attorneys are allowed at the hearing but are not required. The website includes detailed information about the process, as well as downloadable petition forms and instructions.

You can find out if your state has a Tax Court at CourtReference, which will also provide court contact information and links to court websites and other online resources that describe the court’s procedures. Check property tax records and tax assessors’ contacts and information for every state at OnlineSearches Free Public Records Directory.

With the Trayvon Martin case, including the recent second degree murder charges against George Zimmerman making national news, violent crime is at the forefront of the nation’s consciousness. The Martin/Zimmerman case has raised questions about who the true victim really was. Although we may not know the answer to that question until the case has been resolved, unfortunately there are thousands of crimes committed every day, leaving victims to deal with the  aftermath. Often there is so much focus on the perpetrators of crime that the victim gets somewhat left behind by court systems. However, more and more courts are addressing the needs of crime victims these days. You may be wondering what types of services are available to victims of crime in the United States, and where to find that information online.

Some states maintain statewide programs for victim services. For instances, Connecticut’s Office of Victim Services strives to provide “comprehensive, coordinated, and victim-centered services.” The website contains information about the state’s crime victim compensation program, which attempts to assist victims in recovering from the financial impact of crimes. This program even provides compensation to the families of victim’s who have died as a result of crime. The website also lists other available services and information, including victim services advocates, victim notification and community education and training programs. Connecticut’s Office of Victim Services website is one of the better online information resources for crime victims.

The Oregon Department of Justice also maintains a website for their Crime Victims Services Division. Similar to the Connecticut site, this one provides information on victim’s services including victim notification programs, compensation for crime victims and an explanation of crime victims’ rights. Additionally, the Oregon website provides information for professionals, including a “victim assistance toolkit;” as well as an entire section devoted to providing information to medical providers about victims’ rights and needs.

Information about services for crime victims can also be found online for the states of North Carolina, Texas and West Virginia, as well as more locally for Crawford County, AR, Denver, CO, Toombs County, GA, La Porte County, IN, Ellis County, KS, Haskell County, KS, Tuscola County, MI, Boone County, MO, Nordaway County, MO, Lincoln County, MT, Missoula County, MT,  New York County, NY, Paulding County, OH, the City of Issaquah, WA and Morgan County, WV.

As always, keep checking Court Reference for more resources in your area.