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State of the Judiciary Addresses: 2012

Bill Raftery — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:16:12 +0000

Gavel to Gavel focuses on legislation affecting the courts. Yet in many or most states (depending on year) the chief justice has the opportunity to come into the legislature or addresses legislative leaders directly in the form of State of the Judiciary Addresses. For the second year in a row, Gavel to Gavel the Blog will be tracking them with links to give some idea of what the chief justices are asking from the legislatures.

The National Center for State Courts has an archive of 2011, 2010, and previous years State of the Judiciary addresses located here.

Gavel to Gavel not one of ABA’s Blawg 100 of 2011, but thanks for your support and check out the winners!

Bill Raftery — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:14:54 +0000

Back in August I noted the ABA’s annual Top 100 Blawgs (law blogs) contest was kicking into gear for 2011. Well, the list is out and sadly, Gavel to Gavel is not on it. I want to thank the readers who submitted Gavel to Gavel and encourage you to look at the Top 100 list for some amazing resources and voices out there (here?) in the blogosphere!

There’s always next year.

2011 indigent defense legislation week

Bill Raftery — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:24 +0000

As was the case with bail/pre-trial release, Gavel to Gavel does not normally track indigent defense legislation. However, I’ve had numerous readers request information and in many cases indigent defense systems are under the direct control/jurisdiction of the courts, the supreme court, the administrative office of the courts, etc. Therefore, I am dedicating this week to indigent defense legislation legislation, starting today.

Have an idea for a court-related topic you’d like to see tracked? Just send an email!

In order to make this readable and usable, instead of using the 4 main US Census regions, I am dividing the Southern region into two along Census division lines.

Monday (Northeast): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
Tuesday (South Atlantic): Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
Wednesday (East South Central & West South Central): Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
Thursday (Midwest): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Friday (West): Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Support Gavel to Gavel for ABA’s Top 100 Law Blogs!

Bill Raftery — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:04:48 +0000

It’s that time of year again – the ABA Journal has begun its search for the Top 100 Law Blogs. If you enjoy Gavel to Gavel and would like to show your support, visit the ABA Journal Law Blog Amici page and suggest Gavel to Gavel. Submissions are due no later than September 9, 2011. Thank you for your support!

2011 bail/pretrial release legislation week

Bill Raftery — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:25:34 +0000

Though not normally tracked by Gavel to Gavel, I’ve had numerous readers request information on bail or pretrial release. Because much of the legislation does impact the courts’ and their ability to direct defendants, and because of the aforementioned reader interest, I am dedicating this week to bail/pretrial release legislation, starting today.

Have an idea for a court-related topic you’d like to see tracked? Just send an email!

In order to make this readable and usable, instead of using the 4 main US Census regions, I am dividing the Southern region into two along Census division lines.

State-by-State 2011 Legislative Year in Review starts today

Bill Raftery — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:07:40 +0000

With most state legislatures now adjourned sine die, I am introducing a new feature: Legislative Year in Review. New laws affecting the courts in each state will be examined based on the order of adjournment. Thus today’s first installment will focus on Virginia, which was the first state to adjourn (February 27).

A list of approximate dates for each state’s review are below the fold.

State	Review Date (approx.)
Virginia	8/1
Wyoming	8/3
Kentucky	8/5
Utah	8/9
West Virginia	8/11
New Mexico	8/15
Idaho	8/17
South Dakota	8/19
Mississippi	8/23
Maryland	8/25
Georgia	8/29
Alaska	8/31
Washington	9/2
Arkansas	9/6
Indiana	9/8
Montana	9/12
North Dakota	9/14
Arizona	9/16
Hawaii	9/20
Vermont	9/22
Florida	9/26
Colorado	9/28
Tennessee	9/30
Iowa	10/4
Minnesota	10/6
Oklahoma	10/10
Missouri	10/12
Texas	10/14
Kansas	10/18
Nebraska	10/20
North Carolina	10/24
South Carolina	10/26
Nevada	10/28
Connecticut	11/1
Maine	11/3
Alabama	11/7
Louisiana	11/9
Delaware	11/11
Rhode Island	11/15
Oregon	11/17
New Hampshire	11/21
California	11/23
Ohio	11/25
Pennsylvania	11/29
Massachusetts	12/1
New York	12/5
Wisconsin	12/7
Illinois	12/9
Michigan	12/13
New Jersey	12/15

A big thank you to LexisNexis for providing the legislative tracking that has made Gavel to Gavel happen

Bill Raftery — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:52:22 +0000

Earlier this year I conducted a reader survey of the e-newsletter, including a box for people to ask me questions. One of the top questions people wanted to know was “How does Gavel to Gavel receive information about what is going on in the states?”

Thanks to a generous agreement with LexisNexis, each Friday (since July 2006) I run automated searches through their Total Research System for all pieces of legislation active in the prior week that include the words judge, judicial/judiciary, court, or variations on the words. They have been exceptionally generous in the use of their system and I wanted to take the opportunity of the anniversary to say: thanks.

Non-state week 2011: A look at legislation affecting the non-state courts of the United States

Bill Raftery — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:57:23 +0000

Since its establishment in 2006 as a set of spreadsheets, Gavel to Gavel maintained itself as “A review of state legislation affecting the courts.” However, this has admitted and regrettably given short shrift to the other parts of the United States that are not states:

Territory of American Samoa
Territory of Guam
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
United States Virgin Islands
District of Columbia

This week will be dedicated to rectifying that oversight, starting today with a look at the Chief Justice of Guam’s state of the judiciary and his proposal to put a new form of judicial funding in the territory’s “Organic Act” (effectively, the constitution for the territory).

A Gavel to Gavel first: Video Update!

Bill Raftery — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:47:22 +0000

In a first for Gavel to Gavel, I am updating the blog with a video of legislative hearings related to just some of the bills I’ve been tracking in 2011. Hopefully this will be the first of many such efforts.

Let me know what you think.

Judicial Retirement Plans/Pensions Week: 2011

Bill Raftery — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:07:29 +0000

Around this time last year, I ran a special series for a week of posts related to judicial retirement plans/pensions (see here). It was so remarkably well received I have decided to do it again this year, starting today with the Northeastern states, followed by Midwestern, Southern, and Western each day.