2011 Annual Report - Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands

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The purpose of this step is to ensure that the same formsare in use across the districts and that the Court usesa standardized process. This will serve to correct pastpractices of the Court having widely divergent forms andprocesses across the districts. That process is underway and,once completed, will be added to the work flows to finalizethe procedures, and issued to all staff.• QUALITY CONTROL: The Clerk’s Office implementedQuality Control Reviews and continued to amend those toensure that individual employees are adhering to new policiesand procedures. We continue to work to address issues asthey arise and to strive toward improved procedures.• APPEAL ACCOUNTABILITY: This office implementeda review and reporting procedure within the divisions at thebeginning of the fiscal year, to address the long-standingproblem of delays in submitting the record to the appellatecourt(s). This requires reporting and review for all noticesof appeal filed, along with a schedule reflecting the dateof submission of the required documents, and accountingfor any submissions in excess of the time lines set forth.A similar process was previously implemented for courtreporters, to improve accountability for the timely deliveryof transcripts in cases on appeal, which has proven successfulin reducing delays and/or show cause orders. That processrequires reporters to report and account for transcriptspending after 30, 60 and 90 days, and to account specificallyfor matters pending in excess of 90 days.• NOTARY ACCOUNTABILITY: The Court implementeda new notary review and accountability process, to becomeconsistent with statutory requirements.• PHONE SYSTEMS/RECEPTIONIST COVERAGE:Working with the IT Division, this office obtained wirelessheadsets for the receptionist in the St. Croix District and willseek to do the same in the St. Thomas-St. John District. Thepurpose for using these headsets is to improve the efficiencyand ergonomics of that function. We also worked on a draftphone auto-answering system that would aid our customersin promptly getting to the right division/person for service.That system was developed based on outlines submitted toour phone vendor, and the development has been approved.We are awaiting finalization and implementation of theservice, which would reduce some of the workload onthe receptionist and also improve the ability of externalcustomers to promptly reach the appropriate section/personfor service.• CASHIERS: We put in place a system to better calculateinterest in enforcement actions and to account for decliningbalances amounts. Additionally, all relevant staff receivedin-housing training, with the assistance of the St. Thomas-St.John Cashier Supervisor, Ms. Tenisha Lowry.• COURT REPORTING: As a result of new accountabilitymeasures and reporting requirements, we have madegreat improvements in the timely delivery of transcripts/responses to transcript requests. Additionally, we havebegun to incorporate concordances with each transcript.• HOUSE ARREST: We have continued to undertakeadditional steps to improve the accountability andeffectiveness of our house arrest program. Most recentsteps include the implementation of an immediate reportingrequirement by our Marshal Division of all founded alerts/violations to the judge or magistrate who set the conditions,to permit a determination whether the defendant hasforfeited the opportunity to participate in the program inlieu of incarceration. The Marshal Division may now alsopick up violators and take them to the Bureau of Correctionsand immediately submit a report to the judge/magistrateso that the individual may be brought in on a show causehearing. This new process better protects the communityand the integrity of the program by permitting immediateaction when the Marshal Division obtains electronic alertsindicating violations and confirm such violations throughphysical checks of the defendant’s home.• DIVISIONAL REVIEW MEETINGS: Each district wasrequired to implement divisional review meetings, togive the Chief Deputies an opportunity to stay abreastof divisional needs, issues of concern and deficienciesor accomplishments, and to promptly address them orrecommend action to the Clerk.• EXTERNAL COOPERATIVES: The Court continues to beinvolved in external cooperatives, to improve its service toits publics and to do its part in working toward territorial orinter-agency goals. To that end, the Court has continued to:• Host school tours in both districts, where judges and staffaddress the participants and discuss the court system withour youngsters, take them on tours throughout our facilities,and permit them to observe various court proceedings.64
• Host the Bureau of Corrections and mainland correctionalinstitutions, to permit Virgin Islands prisoners housedabroad to visit with their family members at home, throughthe Court’s videoconferencing facilities.• E-Citation: Work continues with the Office of HighwaySafety, the Attorney General’s Office, the VI PoliceDepartment and other agencies toward the implementationof the e-citation program. This project has been indevelopment for several years and the Court has played asubstantial role in ensuring the appropriate developmentof the electronic ticket, pursuant to legal and policyrequirements, and has submitted final approval of thetickets. However, the system has not been fully developedto permit integration with the Court, to realize a truly fullyautomated process. Accordingly, a proposal was submittedto implement a stop-gap approach that would permit theCourt to electronically accept tickets and manually enterthe same into our system (since OHS has not developed afully electronic approach). However, to prevent the costlyand inefficient need for the Court to reprint tickets fordata entry, once electronically received, the Court requiresadditional computer equipment at each work station, as wellas equipment in each courtroom to permit the magistrate,the deputy clerk and the prosecuting attorney to view eachticket. We are awaiting completion of the procurementprocess for such equipment through the Office of HighwaySafety. We anticipate that the system will not be functionaluntil completion of that process and until other externalissues (not within the Court’s purview) are addressed.• Security: The Marshal Division has worked with theExecutive Branch agencies, without compensation, onseveral special assignments throughout the year.• Federal Agencies: The Superior Court has continued tobe a good public sector partner with other external agencies.During the fiscal year, the Court was able to provide sharedresources with the District Court of the Virgin Islands, byproviding interpreting and court reporting services, as wellas courtroom space, as needed. We additionally receivedsimilar cooperation from the District Court, which hasprovided assistance to judges by conducting advice of rightsand other initial criminal proceedings for Superior Courtmatters, to permit our judges/magistrates to participatein joint training/meetings, as needed. Additionally,we have made our physical plants available for use byfederal agencies for administrative hearings, to includethe Immigration courts, which permitted administrativelaw judges residing outside the jurisdiction to satisfy theirhearing responsibilities locally.SUMMARYThe Court in FY 2011 implemented various austeritymeasures in response to severe budget cuts. A significantamount of these cuts affected the Operational Division, toinclude: foregoing supply needs that were critical to thefulfillment of their mandates; delayed vehicle maintenancein the Marshal Division - which ultimately affected serviceof court documents; and, critical staff shortages in severalcase processing divisions. This office also continued to facechallenges obtaining appropriate service to cover criticaloperations functions, given delayed payment of invoices,which included interpreter and transcription servicesOther impacted areas within the Operational Divisionincluded its inability to maintain adequate staffing in severaldivisions, to include: the Family, Court Reporting, and,the Criminal Divisions on St. Croix. In the District of StThomas-St. John, we have continued to shuttle court staffback and forth to St. John to ensure the availability of courtservices on St. John. The completion of a staff transfer in FY2012 will serve to rectify that situation and will result in acritical vacancy on St. Croix.The Marshal/Security division in both districts requiresadditional security officers. In the District of St. Croix,four additional security officers are required to facilitate thecost saving transition from contracted to 24-hour in-housesecurity. Uniforms and other law enforcement supplies areneeded for the Security Officers and the Marshal Division,to include: bullet proof vests in both districts; handcuffsand cases; ASP batons and scabbards; magazine cases andcampaign hats.In conjunction with the Court’s austerity measures, theOperational Division implemented more accountablevehicle use policies, including restrictions of 24-hour use ofvehicles; and, all employees were required to work withoutovertime pay and accept compensatory time for hoursworked in excess of the regular work week. Employees havecontinued to work hard under these pressures and havecontinued to produce.Training continues to be an area that is significantly affectedby the fiscal constraints. We must continue to work towardproviding in-house training. The Clerk’s Office worked withHuman Resources to ensure that some critical areas werecovered in the annual training, and also made arrangementsto have training for marshals done, pro bono, by a localattorney. Additionally, the Clerk’s Office continues todo some of its own in-house training with clerks andsupervisors, both at staff or supervisor’s meetings and alsoin special small group sessions.65
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SUPREME COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
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conferences, seminars, and other ev
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Branch agencies for appropriations.
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HISTORYThe Supreme Courtof the Virg
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Designated JusticesIn cases where o
Page 14 and 15: APPELLATE JURISDICTIONSupreme Court
Page 16: CASE PROCESSING AND MOTION PRACTICE
Page 20 and 21: Pro Hac Vice Admission. The Virgin
Page 22 and 23: Continuing Legal Education.Supreme
Page 24: ReceivershipsIn the event an attorn
Page 27 and 28: Employee BreakdownBy Departmentthe
Page 29: LOOKING FORWARDThe Supreme Court is
Page 34 and 35: THE OFFICE OF THE COURTADMINISTRATO
Page 36: ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORTDIVISIONF
Page 42: The Annual Employees’ and Supervi
Page 45 and 46: Superior Court of the Virgin Island
Page 47 and 48: FIGURE 2: STT/J FY11 - New Diversio
Page 49 and 50: Fig. 6: STT/J FY11 - PIP Activity S
Page 51 and 52: Additionally, the following represe
Page 53 and 54: The Orchestra in the St. Thomas-St.
Page 55 and 56: The Rising Stars completed their th
Page 57 and 58: During FY11, the Probation Division
Page 59 and 60: FY11 TERRITORIAL - Client Education
Page 61 and 62: In the St. Thomas-St. John District
Page 63: and the Rising Stars Panyard in the
Page 67 and 68: Court is kept; rather, all of the f
Page 69 and 70: FY11 - Superior Court of the Virgin
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2011 Annual Report - Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands

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