Each year the Chief Probation Officers in California select outstanding employees and other persons who make significant contributions to the field of Probation in the State of California. This year, the Chief Probation Officers have selected Judge Beverly Wood as the Judicial Officer of the Year for her work with Marin County’s Community Court.
The Community Court (also known as homeless court) was founded in April 2011 by Judge Wood with help and support from the Legal Aid of Marin, as well as the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall. While sitting in the misdemeanor department, Judge Wood took note that far too many individuals who are either homeless or precariously housed would be disproportionately impacted with the loss of a driver’s license or fines. Under the Community Court program, Judge Wood has ordered defendants to perform community service work to re-engage in the community and to make necessary repairs, obtain insurance and register their vehicles. In addition, she has ordered defendants to attend job seeking workshops and classes or meet with drug and alcohol or mental health services as a way to satisfy outstanding fines and assist participants on the path to self-sufficiency and responsibility.
Judge Wood has volunteered countless hours for the past five years to preside over Community Court proceedings and she has heard thousands of infraction cases in this forum from defendants. Community Court is conducted on the second Tuesday of each month at St. Vincent’s Dining Hall in San Rafael. For more information about Community Court, please visit the Court’s website at: http://www.marincourt.org/volunteer_opportunities.htm
http://www.marincourt.org/data/hpnews/181.pdf
Categorized in: Legal Procedure
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