Nebraska's top judge wants a task force to investigate the justice-system shortcomings that allowed hundreds of thousands of dollars to be drained from the vulnerable people an Omaha woman had been appointed to protect. READ MORE

The Arizona Supreme Court has appointed 17 members to a task force to examine the conduct of the state Probate Court in its mission to protect the lives and savings of incapacitated adults, and recommend improvements. READ MORE

Elder Abuse Toolkit for the Courts With a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (Grant No. 2008-DD-BX-0711), the National Center for State Courts is creating an Elder Abuse Toolkit for the Courts.  The toolkit, designed to increase awareness and improve court responses to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, includes a judicial benchcard, an interagency coordination guide, model practices, a compilation of resources, and a data collection guide.  The toolkit will be made available online (expected completion data: Fall/Winter 2010).

New Toolkit Product: Judicial Benchard

The judicial benchcard is targeted toward judges from all court divisions.  It is to be used as a national template that can be readily modified for adaptation to local laws and resources.
SEE BENCHCARD

See a modified benchcard, created by Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit
SEE BENCHCARD

Elder Abuse Curriculum for State Judicial Educators With funding from the Retirement Research Foundation of Chicago (Grant #2008-056), the National Center for State Courts is developing an elder abuse curriculum for state judicial educators.  The objective of the training is to improve the court’s ability to recognize elder abuse and to craft appropriate responses that maximize victim safety.  The curriculum will consist of three one-hour modules focusing on the physiology of aging, the identification of elder abuse, and court responses.  NCSC is partnering with the University of California, Irvine, Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect, on the development of the curriculum.  The product will be available online (expected completion date: Spring/Summer 2011).
See an introduction to the training program, provided by Judge John Conery, 16th Judicial District, Louisiana.