Title
Agenda Item:
Municipal Court/Probation Overview
Body
Issue:
General overview for information and discussion purposes.
Committee Recommendation:
N/A
City Manager's Recommendation:
Briefing Only
Staff Contact:
Maryam Olson, Court Administrator, 360.709.2783
Presenter(s):
Municipal Court Judge Scott Ahlf
Court Administrator Maryam Olson
Probation Services Supervisor
Background and Analysis:
The primary core service of the Olympia Municipal Court is to provide objective, accessible and timely resolution of all cases litigated before the Court, the protection of the rights of all individuals, and the dignified and fair treatment of all parties. In order to do this, the court must provide solid case management, extraordinary probation supervision and alternatives to incarceration (Options) programs to help with jail population management.
The Court and the probation department consist of the Judge - Scott Ahlf, the Court Administrator - Maryam Olson, the Probation Services Supervisor - Monica Schneider, and 7 court staff and 5 probation staff.
Olympia Municipal Court is a limited jurisdiction court - which means we only have jurisdiction over gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors and infractions. Misdemeanors carry a maximum sentence of 90 days jail and $1000 fine. Examples of these charges are: Driving While License Suspended 3rd/Neg Driving 1st/Criminal Trespass. Gross Misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of 365 days jail and $5000 fine - examples are DUI/Assault/Theft 3rd (not exceed $750)/MIP. We do not accept felony, juvenile, civil or small claims cases. As with district courts, we can issue domestic violence no-contact orders. We handled an average of 2200 criminal citations and 2300 traffic violations in 2012 as well as over 30,000 parking citations.
In the last year, Olympia Municipal Court has undergone many changes - one of which was acquiring the parking management module. One FTE was required to maintain the parking program, however, existing court staff have also been required to absorb portions of the program as well in addition to their regular court duties. The parking program has also significantly increased the number in court hearings as well as hearings by mail.
Currently, jury trials are not held at the Olympia Municipal Court. The City has an interlocal agreement with Thurston County in which we hold our trials in one of the courtrooms at Superior Court. Thurston County also calls in our jurors for us - we provide the clerk and a Judge as well as our prosecutor and defense attorney if one is appointed.
Probation Services offers community supervision for misdemeanant offenders in the City of Olympia. Along with the correctional options programs offered as alternatives to incarceration, Probation Services continues to offer an array of treatment and counseling services to help motivate and guide clients out of the Court system.
Current staffing for the office includes 1 FTE Probation Manager, 2 FTE Probation Officers, 2 FTE Work Crew Leaders, 1.25 Program Specialist (Victim's Impact Panel Coordinator) and 1FTE Office Specialist.
The Probation Department is divided into 2 sections, Probation and Day Reporting. Probation includes intensive supervision probation (ISP,) active and bench probation.
The ISP program was implemented in an effort to help reduce jail population while providing more intensive supervision to high risk offenders who would otherwise be held in custody. Examples of offenders placed in the ISP program include DUI offenders with prior DUI convictions, domestic violence offenders, and some mentally ill offenders. The ISP program is utilized both pre and post-conviction. Participants may be required to report to Probation Services one time per week or as often as 5 times per week. Sobriety is monitored through random urinalysis and breath testing. Court ordered treatment requirements and medication requirements are monitored as well. Those offenders placed on active probation are required to report to the office monthly.
The Day Reporting Center offers all alternatives to incarceration including: Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM), in-custody and out of custody work crews, day jail, community service and the 24 hour DUI Alternative Program. All participants are required to pay all fees associated with each program with the exception of the in-custody work crew program. All options programs are considered a privilege and not a right. Those offenders who have been sentenced by the Court to serve jail time may be allowed to be reviewed for participation in an options program. The majority of those offenders are given a determined amount of time to report to the Probation Department to be reviewed and/or enroll in a program. The majority of those offenders will not enter into the jail and instead will serve their time out of custody.
The Probation Department and Day Reporting Center operating costs are subsidized by revenues collected through court ordered probation fees and options program fees. Revenues collected correlate directly to the number of criminal traffic (specifically DUI citations) and non-traffic offenses (Theft/Assault/Assault DV/).
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
N/A
Financial Impact:
Court and Probation Services have seen a significant drop in both traffic infractions and criminal citation filings by the police department, which in turn, negatively impacts revenue collection rates, probation caseload numbers and Day Reporting Center revenues.
The Court receives an annual grant from the Trial Court Improvement Account ($22,796) to aid in the partial reimbursement for the salary of the Municipal Court Judge.
Probation Services receives $16,000 yearly contribution from the Public Works Department for work crew services provided. Another $10,000 is received from the PBIA for downtown flower basket hanging, watering and maintenance. Until 2013, the PBIA also contributed another $10,000 to the department for ongoing downtown maintenance including but not limited to alley way clean up, side walk maintenance including power washing, fall leave clean up and snow removal, graffiti removal, tree grate clean out, storm drain clean out and parking lot maintenance. In 2013 that funding was transferred to the downtown ambassador and clean team programs. The probation work crew participation is being phased out in 2013 and that work load will be absorbed the ambassadors and the clean team.
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