Justice 2045 advances progress in courts
COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino County court system, with funding support from the State Justice Institute and strategic facilitation by Dr. Nancy Wonders and Dr. Fred Solop, convened an all-day strategic planning forum on Sept. 17 at the High Country Conference Center. Stakeholders provided input and assistance in determining the types of services the courts should provide by the year 2045.
The strategic planning forum was well attended, with 115 people participating, including citizens, judges, members of the Flagstaff City Council and Coconino County Board of Supervisors, court staff, City and County staff, attorneys, law enforcement, educational leaders and social service organizations. The ideas and input received will be used by court leadership to develop formal strategies for improved services for court system customers. The Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, Ann Timmer, served as the keynote speaker.
The day’s discussion focused on five areas for review: Access, Services and Programs; Fair and Timely Resolution and Efficient Operations; Trust and Confidence in the Courts; Professional, Competent and Engaged Workforce; and Court Infrastructure.
This strategic planning forum was a follow-up to similar forums held in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2021. Some of the projects that came to fruition as a result of the prior forums include enhanced Law Day activities, the Legal Futures program connecting high school students with justice-system careers, implementation of speech-to-text transcripts to improve accessibility and the establishment of a Family Law Assistance Program to support self-represented litigants.
“Justice 2045 is about more than writing a strategic plan, it is about imagining the kind of justice system our community will need twenty years from now and beginning the work today to build it,” Presiding Judge for Coconino County Ted Reed said. “By bringing together our courts, justice partners, community organizations and residents, we are drawing on the experience, creativity and perspectives of the people who make our justice system work. Our goal is to build a justice system that is more accessible, responsive, innovative and effective for the next generation.”
For more information, call Coconino County Court Administration at 928-679-7514. To learn more about the court system, log on to www.coconino.az.gov.