1. In Context – Perceptions of the Justice System

2. Presented by: Arnell Bryant-Willis M. Remington Bronson, Esq. Judge Claudia Rickert Isom

3. Acknowledgements Research Assisted by: Capt. Xiomara J. Rivera Judicial Law Clerk

4. Our Mission

5. Our Goal

6. Bridging the Gulf Between Expressed Intentions and Expectations

7. Course Objectives Identify when a party or witness is apprehensive about receiving justice from the Court Describe Florida historical events that illustrate why some parties or witnesses would be biased in their perception of the Courts Examine statistics from the criminal justice system which are used to argue there is disparate treatment in terms of percentage of incarceration & “Stand Your Ground” between races, genders, ethnicities, etc. Develop tools to communicate effectively with an “audience” that comes before the Court preconditioned regarding the Court’s cultural neutrality

8. Keep The Goal In Sight Vision of the Florida Judicial Branch Justice in Florida will be accessible, fair, effective, responsive, and accountable. Accessible Fair Effective Responsive Accountable

9. Themes We are only one part of the Justice System. What experience and expectations do our “clients” bring to court? How do we communicate “fair and unbiased” if the recipient is preconditioned to believe otherwise? How does this preconditioning impact compliance with court orders?

10. Canon Three A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently

11. Recognizing and Eliminating Bias from Court Operations Handbook “... we continue to advance the State Courts System’s efforts to eliminate from court operations bias that is based on race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, financial status, or any characteristic that is without legal relevance...... and recognize that fairness and diversity are crucial elements of our justice system.”

12. Total: 19,552,860 Total: 87,097 Total: 978 Male: 49% Male: 63% Male: 66% Female: 51% Female: 37% Female: 34% White: 78.1% White: 50% White: 84% Black: 16.7% Black: 2% Black: 6.6% Hispanic: 23.6% Hispanic: 6% Hispanic: 9% Asian/PI: 2.8% Asian/PI: 1.1% Asian: 0.4% Native: 0.1% No Data: 33.7%

13. Judging and Empathy

14. National Homicide Comparison

15. Crime in Florida - 2013 Arrests

16. All Justice is Local

17. The Role of Trial Judge While a trial judge ordinarily has great discretion in ruling on matters during the course of a trial, those rulings must comport with fairness and due process. Fisher v. Perez, 947 So. 2d 648 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007).

19. Getting to the Courthouse Why are you going? Are you represented? How are you getting there? Where will you park if you drive? What happens if you miss your bus? What happens if you don’t have transportation?

21. Getting Into The Courthouse Which door do you use? How early did you get there? What do you see, hear and do while you stand in line? Who screens you? What must you do before screening? What if you don’t have a babysitter?

23. Access to the Courts All litigants, whether represented by an attorney or proceeding pro se, are afforded equal access to the courts, and are entitled to a just and fair proceeding, no matter how adversarial it may become. Lingle v. Dion, 776 So. 2d 1073 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001)

24. Are You Presentable?

25. Getting Into the Courtroom Finding your courtroom Wearing the right clothes Finding your lawyer Representing yourself Finding the law library Finding the family law forms Getting your case called

26. What Do They “See” When They Get There?

27. Consequences for the Uninitiated Murphy’s law for the self-representing client Why do private attorneys go first? Why doesn’t the bailiff call my case? What happens to my car if I’m taken into custody? Why do I have to pay another bond if I’m taken into custody? How can I raise bond when I don’t have a job, a house, or a friend with money?

28. Privilege Walk Court’s Role Perception of Fairness Reality of Fairness

29. SHARED HISTORY How did you and your family experience... 1. Selma 2. Kennedy Assassinations 3. Martin Luther King Assassination 4. Race Riots 5. Desegregation 6. Mariel Harbor

30. Justice Tempered By Empathy

31. Small Group Discussion

32. Review Objectives Identify when a party or witness is apprehensive about receiving justice from the Court Describe Florida historical events that illustrate why some parties or witnesses would be biased in their perception of the Courts Examine statistics from the criminal justice system which are used to argue there is disparate treatment in terms of percentage of incarceration & “Stand Your Ground” between races, genders, ethnicities, etc. Develop tools to communicate effectively with an “audience” that comes before the Court preconditioned regarding the Court’s cultural neutrality