Brian Peteritas is a GOVERNING contributor.
E-mail: bpeteritas@governing.comTwitter: @governing
Idea Center
North Carolina Judges Offer Counseling to Jurors
Jurors in North Carolina who may have been traumatized during the course of a criminal trial can now get counseling following their service, thanks to a new statewide pilot program. According to the Charlotte Observer, the Jury Assistance Program (managed by the state Administrative Office of the Courts) allows jurors to call or make an appointment with a mental health professional to receive a confidential assessment. Once the initial evaluation is complete, the counselor can provide the juror with additional resources included in their health plan or available at a low cost. Jurors will also receive unlimited access to a mental health website already used by state employees. Due to budgetary constraints, the presiding judge must determine that the testimony given during a trial warrants jury access to these services. Presently, only Alaska and Texas have enacted statewide legislation to provide similar services, though Texas leaves the funding up to individual court systems. A handful of other states report that select counties provide jury counseling, according to a 2007 survey done by the National Center for State Courts.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for updates.
Columns
- A New, Sometimes Not-So-Nice Outlook for the Muni Market
- Despite some positive developments, it seems the SEC and IRS are cracking down on the municipal bond market.
- Do Cities Need a Chief Resilience Officer?
- The Rockefeller Foundation is awarding $100 million to cities willing to create chief resilience officers to prepare for and recover from disasters, which have increased in frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Flickr
RSS
© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved. |