Do you understand the dynamics of your courthouse? Are you involved in scenario based training related to your courthouse security? Jim Brigham shares three critical issues related to enhancing security in your courthouse.

Learn how tribal courts can develop integrated Domestic Violence Courts to adjudicate all aspects of cases involving Domestic Violence including protection orders, violation of those orders, child custody and visitation, property issues and other aspects to avoid conflicting orders and ensure victim safety.

Often times, the biggest role of a facility dog is to calm and support an individual during stressful situations. Learn what a facility dog is and how they are being used particularly as a school resource officer partner in K-12 schools and/or in tribal court settings. The process to obtain and train a dog, subjective observations, and data collected will be discussed.

Explore how community stakeholders can better respond to domestic violence cases using risk information. Learn about the social science behind lethality and risk assessment, and gather concrete tools and suggestions for court-based risk assessment in an effort to enhance safety.

Learn about the federal laws and tribal remedies available to protect victims of domestic violence. Discuss the safety needs of victims and how tribal court civil and criminal remedies (such as protection orders and criminal sanctions) are important to safeguarding victims. Review reparations for victims that should be considered by the tribal court for damages resulting from crimes or acts that have already occurred. Victim centeredness during the trial process will be emphasized.

Review the steps Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama’s only federally recognized tribe, took to overcome jurisdictional barriers to achieve implementation of state legislation known as the Poarch Band of Creek Indians – State Police Powers Act (Alabama Act #2018-393). Review the specific barriers that were overcome such as lack of state recognition, no available copies of MOU’s that were in prior existence, inability to use state academy for training; not honoring tribal courts, etc. Discuss how this enhanced multi-jurisdictional partnership has supported increased public safety for the Poarch Creek community.

Learn how to prepare and present a winning case in child maltreatment proceedings or criminal prosecutions of child abusers. Topics addressed include ideas for successfully confronting common defenses, and ways to prepare witnesses, including children, to testify effectively and minimize the trauma they experience in court.

Suspects use a number of behaviors to gain the cooperation and trust of their victims. When working child abuse investigations, it is critical to identify and understand the grooming techniques that are used to manipulate both children and their caretakers in order to gain the necessary access to commit their crimes. Investigators must also be prepared to explain the dynamics of grooming in both criminal and family court hearings.

Increase awareness and understanding of the automatic association people make between groups of people and stereotypes about those groups (Implicit Bias). Examine how implicit bias can have significant influence in the outcomes of interactions between individuals and the justice system (law enforcement, social services, courts, etc.)

Enhance and build knowledge regarding the proper recognition, handling and preservation of evidence. Provide disciplines within the multidisciplinary teams to build stronger cases structured around the recognition, handling and preservation of evidence. Assist members, such as CPS staff, to hear how to handle evidence when Law Enforcement is not involved. Hear the “do’s” and “do not’s” of handling evidence, chain of custody, how to properly store evidence and the importance of documentation. Recognize the importance of courtroom testimony.