Wildfires, Protests, and COVID: How Have Courts Coped with Compounding Crises? Part One

Court Leader's Advantage

Thursday, November 19, 2020, Podcast Episode

Unbelievably, the expression “we are living in unprecedented times” has become a cliché. Since early 2020, so much has happened to us, so quickly, and with so little warning that the only response anyone seems to have is “Well, now what?” Still, because so many extraordinary events have occurred this year, 2020 has much to teach us.

We are talking with court administrators whose courts have endured nightly violent demonstrations that have lasted for months, wildfires that have turned day to night and made the air unbreathable and, of course, the Coronavirus. This is part one of two episodes where our panel shares the lessons they have experienced first-hand.

What can we learn from the experiences of these courageous court administrators, their staffs, and their courts? How will they update their Continuity of Operations Plans? What advice do they have for the rest of us?

About My Co-Host:

Alyce Roberts is recently retired as Special Projects Coordinator for the Alaska Court System. Alyce is a 2010 Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.

About the Speaker Panel:

Barbara Marcille is the Trial Court Administrator in the Circuit Court for the 4th Judicial District in Portland, Oregon. She has served in a variety of roles for the courts in Oregon, New Mexico, and North Carolina, and holds a degree in Business from Florida State University.

Michael Roddy is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in San Diego County, California. Mike served as the California Administrative Office of the Courts’ Regional Administrative, Director for the Northern/Central Region, Executive Officer of the Sacramento Superior Court, and Assistant Executive Officer of the Superior Court of San Diego County,

Elizabeth Baldwin is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Seattle, Washington. Before moving to Seattle, Beth worked as the Court Administrator of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa. Beth holds her law degree from the University of Minnesota, her MPA from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.

Bob Fleshman is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in Napa County, California. Bob has thirty years of public administration experience, which includes two decades in judicial administration in the California trial court system and Judicial Council of California. In addition to nearly two decades with the California judiciary, Bob spent a decade in public service at the national level in disaster recovery as well as uniformed military service.

Elizabeth Rambo is the Trial Court Administrator for the Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, Oregon. Liz graduated with high scholarship from Oregon State University with a BA in history and has an MBA from Portland State University. She is a long-time member of the National Association of Court Management and holds a Court Manager certification from the National Center for State Courts