Rogers District Court Judge Chris Griffin wants to hold people accountable for their actions. He also wants his court to be service oriented.
That is why Griffin started Open Mondays in January.
Other court planned
Rogers District Court Judge Chris Griffin wants to establish a Veterans’ Court, a specialty court that would give veterans more sentencing and rehabilitation options for punishments other than incarceration. Judge Tom Smith presides over a Veterans’ Court in Benton County Circuit Court. Griffin is in the early stages of establishing the court. He plans to observe other such courts, then submit a plan to the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Source: Staff report
"I believe it's important to be accessible to the public," Griffin said. "Many people come through the court and they are not criminals, so the process doesn't have to be a difficult one."
The court is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. each Monday. People are welcome to discuss fines, failure to appear warrants or how to request a public defender.
"Everyone I see on Mondays, I don't have to handle those issues later on," said Griffin, who took office Jan. 1 after he defeated former Judge Paul Bridges in last year's election.
Griffin said 33,411 cases were handled in Rogers District Court last year. He estimated 400 residents have shown up for Open Monday sessions.
Early sessions drew 10 or 12 participants, but numbers keep increasing. Recent weeks have had an average of 25 to 30. Griffin wishes more would use it. The court hopes to add language to citations to make more residents aware of the option. If approved, the language might appear on tickets a few months from now.
The open session saves time for the general public as well as the court, he said.
"It's easier to do this when I don't set a docket, that way I can take more time and make sure things are taken care of," Griffin said. "It's no (extra) cost to hold. It's just me, the clerk and the bailiff. This is an efficient, easier way to do it."
Many participants arrive at the very beginning of the day or just after lunch, Griffin said. The open schedule makes it possible for people to take a slightly early or late lunch break to get an issue resolved, he said.
Open Mondays also cuts down on the number of manhours created for the Police Department from failures to appear, which require an officer to spend an average 40 minutes delivering a new citation, not to mention the creation of an entirely new case.
Trials or cases that need prosecutors are not scheduled for Monday. Other cases such as DUIs, which require a screening on the day of the case, would go unresolved if brought forward during the open session.
Whether or not the issue can be resolved that day, Griffin said the court can clarify administrative details and necessary contacts.
Tommy Garrett came to Open Mondays to request an extension to pay a fine. Griffin gave him a one-month extension after a brief chat.
"It saved me time," Garrett said. "I didn't have to wait in a crowded courtroom for them to call my case."
Other folks use Open Monday to more conveniently fit the court appearance into their schedules or explain a set of unique circumstances that might keep them from appearing in court at the appropriate time.
Griffin recalled a recent visitor who said he'd be traveling the entire summer and wanted to resolve his case. Extending the amount of time to perform community service is a common request, Griffin said, because most orders are issued to be filled within a month.
"If they work full time and have kids, and some of these opportunities aren't offered on weekends, that might be impossible to get done in 30 days as they're ordered," Griffin said.
He often extends the deadline to 90 days to give people a better opportunity to fulfill it. "Not as many are in contempt, given warnings or failure to appear that way. This helps give flexibility," he said.
Stephen Browning recently accompanied 17-year-old daughter Bailey to address a traffic citation. Browning requested it be processed sooner because the court date was scheduled during the week Bailey was set to attend Arkansas Governor's School, an educational program at Hendrix University in the summer.
Griffin ordered Browning to attend a defensive driving course and made sure she was aware of the time limit involved to take it.
"They were able to process (the citation) like normal," Browning said.
Others have difficulty keeping track of court appearances.
"I had so many court dates and drug court that I didn't realize I missed this one," Jason Childers said.
Griffin clarified for Childers what charges he currently had, what his options were and which documents to bring to his next court date.
Correspondence from inmates requesting help gets the same direction.
"Then they know how it can be done, what paperwork to bring and that they can show up here on a Monday after they're released to get things taken care of," Griffin said.
Open Mondays help people stay in contact with the court instead of hiding when they miss a payment on their fines, Griffin said.
"I can't make any promises, but I will try to work with people," Griffin said.
Griffin said he did not know of any other judge doing something similar and he plans to expand the option.
The first night court session is schedule for 6 p.m. June 28. Griffin plans to hold night court once a month. The night court crowd may cut down on the attendance on Mondays, he said, but the priority is simply giving people more opportunity.
The District Court will get a new computer system next year that will allow people to keep track of their cases online, including court dates and fines. The system will likely establish a portal via a weblink or site where people can search 24/7 from their home computer or mobile phone, Griffin said.
"It will get people a lot better access to their own information," Griffin said. The new system would be an improvement to calling the district court, where it may not be answered or returned immediately, he said.
A potential pitfall would be if the court paperwork and information in the portal didn't match, but Griffin has hopes that it will be consistent and accurate right off the bat.
NW News on 05/29/2017