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« Brown receives $26.5 million gift | Today | Redgrave, Danes, Streep, Close in Newport for a movie » September 15, 2006Family Court chief judge complains of lack of sheriffsA lack of manpower within the State Sheriff’s Department forced postponements in Family Court today and the chief judge there says judges may have no choice "but to release these potentially dangerous juveniles’’ if something isn’t done soon. "It is inconceivable that the security of the judiciary employees and members of the public are being compromised daily,’’ said Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. in a statement. Jeremiah said he had sent two letters recently to High Sheriff Gary P. Dias expressing concern over the "long-standing lack of adequate sheriff staffing’’ within Family Court and other courts. The Sheriff’s Department has a policy that two sheriffs are needed in every court room any time prisoners are transported in from a cellblock. If there aren’t two sheriffs for a specific court room, a prisoner won’t be brought in. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Jeremiah said another Family Court Judge, Stephen Capineri, reported he had 16 detained juveniles on his calendar yesterday but could not preside over their cases because they were not brought before him. Juveniles cannot be detained at the Rhode Island Training School for longer than five days without a probable cause hearing, said Jeremiah. "Without sheriffs to transport detained juveniles to the court room, Family Court judges will have no choice but to release these potentially dangerous juveniles back into the community,’’ the judge said. High Sheriff Dias said today that of the department of 196 sheriffs and deputies, about 23 sheriffs are out on long-term illness, injury or serving in the military. Dias disputed the judge’s claim that the situation is approaching a point where dangerous juveniles would be released. Several family courts deal with civil matters, Dias said, and he would request that those courts take a temporary recess to allow those sheriffs to help out in courts dealing with criminal charges. "If for any reason I thought I was about to violate someone’s due process rights or a danger person was about to be released back into the community, I would do what ever I had to to to make sure that wouldn’t happen,’’ said Dias. -- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney Posted by Steve Peoples CommentsB Boston | November 1, 2006 11:17 AM link Very well said Boston. Anyone that has been unfortunate enough to spend time in the family courts has seen how poorly managed the whole operation is. Keith | November 2, 2006 11:00 AM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
It is always someone else's fault. Judge Jeremiah is looking to blame someone else for his in ability to managed the administrative duties required for an effective judicial process.
The state needs to investigate the cause of the problems in the family courts. These problems run deep but rest with the Chief Judge.
Aside from juveniles not being afforded timely access to the court system, the current situation has enabled a rouge practitioners to dictate the judicial practices at the expense of sound legal process. All Rhode Islanders loose in this situation. Day after day the family courts continue to fail the citizens of RI.