Senate Journal: Page 63: Tuesday, January 10, 1995

    FULLY ACQUAINT YOU WITH THE OPERATION OF THE COURT IN YOUR AREA.

         I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
    JUDICIARY WHO ARE PRESENT.  WE HAVE WITH US THE IOWA COURT OF APPEALS,
    INCLUDING ITS NEWEST MEMBERS, JUDGE MARK CADY AND JUDGE TERRY HUITINK.
    OUR COURT OF APPEALS CONTINUES TO PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE, DECIDING A LARGE
    VOLUME OF CASES EACH YEAR.  WE AGAIN COMMEND THEM.  ALSO PRESENT ARE THE
    CHIEF JUDGES OF IOWAS EIGHT JUDICIAL DISTRICTS.  THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE
    FOR SUPERVISING THE JUDGES AND COURT EMPLOYEES WITHIN EACH DISTRICT.  IN
    ADDITION TO THEIR LEADERSHIP ROLE, THEY ALSO DEAL WITH A STAGGERING
    INDIVIDUAL CASELOAD.

         ALTHOUGH THE MAIN FOCUS OF THESE REMARKS WILL BE THE CONDITION OF
    THE JUDICIARYS PRIMARY FUNCTION -- DECIDING CASES, I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST
    MENTION THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE ON SOME OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES OVER
    THIS PAST YEAR.

         FOUR YEARS AGO, WITH FUNDS YOU APPROPRIATED, THE SUPREME COURT
    ESTABLISHED THE EQUALITY IN THE COURTS TASK FORCE, CHAIRED BY CHIEF
    JUDGE JAMES HAVERCAMP.  ITS PURPOSE WAS TO INVESTIGATE ANY RACE AND
    GENDER BIAS IN THE COURT SYSTEM.  IN 1992, THE TASK FORCE REPORTED ITS
    FINDINGS, AND OFFERED RECOMMENDATIONS OF WAYS TO HELP ELIMINATE BIAS
    WHICH MAY DEMEAN COURT PARTICIPANTS OR POSE A THREAT TO EQUAL TREATMENT.
    OUR COURT HAS EXHAUSTIVELY CONSIDERED EACH RECOMMENDATION OF THE TASK
    FORCE AND TAKEN APPROPRIATE ACTION.  ATTACHED TO MY MESSAGE IS A BRIEF
    SUMMARY OF THOSE EFFORTS.

         WE HAVE ALSO UNDERTAKEN A DETAILED STUDY OF DOMESTIC ABUSE IN IOWA.
    BECAUSE OUR TRADITIONAL LEGAL PROCEDURES ARE OFTEN NOT DESIGNED TO DEAL
    WITH THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THESE INSIDIOUS ACTS, WE ESTABLISHED
    A TASK FORCE TO EXPLORE THIS SUBJECT.  IN DOING SO, WE SOLICITED OTHER
    GROUPS TO HELP THE COURTS RESPOND TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. OUR DOMESTIC
    ABUSE TASK FORCE, CO-CHAIRED BY JUDGE CADY AND LINDA MCGUIRE, HAS
    PREPARED A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN
    A WIDE-RANGE OF AREAS.

         THE REPORT SETS OUT WAYS IN WHICH GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY CAN WORK
    TOGETHER TO RESPOND MORE EFFECTIVELY TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.  WE HAVE
    BEGUN TO IMPLEMENT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH CALL FOR COURT ACTION.
    THE REPORT ALSO CONTAINS A NUMBER OF PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE CHANGES WHICH

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1995 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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