Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center releases Fact Sheet on Alaska trial court case filing statistics

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) has released, "Alaska Trial Court Case Filing Statistics, 2005-2012," issue 13-04 in the Fact Sheet publication series. This issue presents data on cases filed in Alaska's trial courts (Superior Court and District Court) during state fiscal years 2005–2012. Data were extracted from Alaska Court System annual statistical reports.

The report examines data on case filings, caseloads, and types of cases filed in Superior and District courts. The Fact Sheet is authored by Ryan Fortson, Ph.D., J.D. , Justice Center faculty, and Brad A. Myrstol, Ph.D., director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC).

The AJSAC is housed within the UAA Justice Center and publishes a monthly Fact Sheet addressing various crime and criminal justice topics.

Dr. Lepage presents on team-based learning at new faculty orientation in August

Dr. Cory Lepage, Justice faculty, and Dr. Caroline Wilson, Biological Sciences, have been invited to give presentations at the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) New Faculty Orientation in August.  They will be discussing team-based learning  (TBL) and the TBL faculty learning community at UAA.

New faculty will be introduced to the concept of team-based learning, TBL-related resources at UAA, and the TBL learning communities sessions that are scheduled for 2013 -2014.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an increasingly-popular form of small group learning with four components: 1) permanent teams, 2) readiness assurance, 3) application activities, and 4) peer evaluation.

TBL teachers report high levels of student attendance, preparation, participation and critical thinking, and TBL students report being more motivated and enjoying class more, even when the subject is not in their major. 

Justice faculty and staff hear exoneree Ted Bradford at Alaska Innocence Project program

Dr. Allan Barnes, Justice Center Director; Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty; and Barbara Armstrong, Alaska Justice Forum editor attended the May 2013 Alaska Innocence Project program and fundraiser highlighting exoneree Ted Bradford.

L ro r: AKIP Executive Director
Bill Oberly and exoneree Ted Bradford
at the 2013 event.

Ted Bradford was wrongly convicted of the 1995 rape of a woman in Washington state; he served 9 years in prison. Through the efforts of the Innocence Project Northwest at the University of Washington School of Law, Mr. Bradford was exonerated in 2010. He shared the story of his experience at the Alaska Innocence Project program and fundraiser in May, and ended his remarks by playing his guitar for the group.

L to r: Dr. Allan Barnes and
Prof. Deb Periman of the Justice
Center at the AKIP event.

The Alaska Innocence Project (AKIP) is one of the Justice Center's community partners.  AKIP is overseen by a diverse, all volunteer Board of Directors made up of former police, former prosecutors, Alaska Native leaders, and other community members. Bill Oberly is the Executive Director and handles day-to-day operations. Volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and investigators assist with the work of the AKIP. Justice Center paralegal students have worked in internships with the Alaska Innocence Project.

Drs. Chamard and Payne attend Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis Symposium

Dr. Sharon Chamard and Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, attended the 21st annual Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium in June in Philadelphia.

Some of this year's presentations included research on:

• "journey-to-crime" - physical proximity versus ease of access to locations
• geographic clustering of residential structure fires and burglary 
• Philadelphia police foot patrols and "patrol dosage" (what officers do, who the officers are, time spent on patrol)
• application of the CRAVED model (a way to assess the desirability of a target) to illegal commercial fishing
• organizational failures in the Vancouver Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concerning the investigation of the Vancouver Missing Women/Pig Farm Serial Murder case.

A highlight of this year's symposium was a tour of murals in some of the more challenged neighborhoods in Philadelphia.  The “Restorative Justice Tour”  is part of the the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and incorporates the concepts of restorative justice through art instruction, mural making, and community service work within the criminal justice system. Current inmates, ex-offenders, and juvenile delinquents are given the opportunity to learn new skills and make a positive contribution to their communities to repair the prior harm they may have caused.

 ECCA is an annual, invitation-only symposium attended by an international group of researchers and practitioners engaged in situational crime prevention, intelligence-led policing, and problem-oriented policing. In 2008, the Justice Center hosted the 17th annual ECCA Symposium on the UAA campus.

Prof. Knudsen makes presentations on mixed administrative tribunals to Alaska Office of Administrative Hearings staff

Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Justice faculty, will present the second of a two-part series on lay participation in mixed administrative tribunals to staff of the State of Alaska Office of Administrative Hearings on July 24 in Juneau.

Prof. Knudsen’s first presentation was held in Anchorage and focused on a comparison of the results of her Alaskan survey research on lay participation in mixed tribunals with European survey research.  Her second presentation will highlight issues identified in her research concerning training needs and recruitment of Alaskan lay adjudicators.

A “mixed” administrative tribunal is an appointed board or commission that decides legal issues with the involvement of a professional administrative law judge; this  involvement varies in degree and methods, depending on the tribunal’s rules and statutes. 

Dr. Rivera presents to joint meeting of state Alcohol Beverage Control Board subcommittees

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, presented to a joint meeting of two subcommittees of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on June 12.

She discussed her report, "Analysis of Strategies Designed to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons," issued January 19, 2012, and provided an overview of research on this topic to the Underage Drinking Subcommittee and the Role of the ABC Board Subcommittee.

Click here for her PowerPoint presentation on "Strategies to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons."  

Dr. Rivera is a member of both the Role of the ABC Board and the Underage Drinking subcommittees. One of her research areas is substance abuse, with a focus on underage drinking.

Justice Center closing at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3

The Justice Center will be closing at 3:00 p.m. today, Thursday, July 3..  Have a safe holiday!

UAA and Justice Center closed July 4 and 5 for holiday

The UAA campus and the Justice Center will be closed Thursday and Friday, July 4 and 5, in observance of Independence Day.
The Justice Center will reopen on Monday, July 8 at 8:00 a.m.

Have a safe and healthy July 4!

KSKA Public Radio airs KTOO interview of Prof. Brandeis about U.S. Supreme Court same-sex marriage decisions

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., was interviewed on June 26 by KTOO Public Radio Juneau for a story about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on same-sex marriage. KSKA Public Radio Anchorage rebroadcast the story on June 27 on "Alaska News Nightly."  
 
Prof. Brandeis' comments originally appeared June 26 on the KTOO website  - "What does the ruling on DOMA, Prop 8 mean for Alaska?" 
 
Prof. Brandeis teaches constitutional law and civil liberties courses, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law issues.

Profs. Periman and Fortson present at Color of Justice events - fostering diversity in the legal profession and judiciary

L to r: Barbara Hood, Alaska Court System Communications Counsel;
UAA Provost "Bear" Baker; UAA Assistant Provost Monica Kane;
and District Court Judge Pamela Washington, Chair,
Anchorage Color of Justice Summer Program.

 Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator, and Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Justice faculty, presented  at the "Color of Justice:  Fostering Diversity in the Legal Profession and Judiciary ...One Student at a Time" event held June 10-11, 2013 at the UAA Campus and the Boney Courthouse. The program is designed to encourage girls and minority high school students to consider careers in the law and judiciary.

Provost Baker welcomes students to UAA.

 UAA Provost "Bear" Baker welcomed students and volunteer attorneys and judges to the campus. Prof. Periman and Theresa Lyons, UAA New Student Orientation Director, helped kickoff the program with a group activity in which students discussed the qualities that make a good judge.  Prof. Periman and Susan Lee, Gonzaga University School of Law Director of Admissions facilitated "Choose Law: Your Path to a Career in Law & the Judiciary," an interactive session that focused on qualities needed in a judge and the kind of academic and professional preparation and experience that are required.

Prof. Periman, standing center, asks students what qualities they think a judge should have.

Prof. Fortson was one of 11 volunteer lawyers and judges who participated in "MentorJet: A Speed-Mentoring Experience" which provided students the opportunity to talk with diverse Alaska lawyers and judges and learn about the steps to a successful and rewarding career in law.

Prof. Fortson answers students' questions about law school and
being a lawyer or judge.

The second day of the program included presentations on "The Role of Law: The Case of the Million Dollar Painting," "Access to Justice: What Does It Mean?" and "You Be the Judge!" Prof. Fortston was a volunteer attorney mentor/coach for the "Join Your Mock Trial Team" session during which students were given a case file, assigned the role of judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, witness, or juror, and  tried the case. The volunteer attorney mentor/coaches assisted in trial preparation and debriefing.

L to r: Student Kaitlyn Moos, Court Clerk; Student Jackson Blackwell, Presiding Judge; and
Prof. Fortson, volunteer attorney mentor/coach.

The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) developed this highly effective annual program to encourage girls and minority high school students to consider pursuing careers in the law and judiciary.  Experienced judges and lawyers discuss law school and the requirements for admission, share their experiences including reasons why they chose their careers, and answer questions in groups. Students, judges and lawyers have praised the project, and it has been reproduced successfully nationwide.

Program sponsors include the National Association of Women Judges, the Alaska Court System, the University of Alaska Anchorage, law schools from the Northwest, and other organizations.   The Alaska program was taught by Alaska judges and attorneys and Northwest law school professors.

See a slideshow below.