26.12.804 - Family court pilot program -- Rules.

Family court pilot program — Rules.

The judges of the superior court judicial districts with unified family court pilot programs shall adopt local court rules directing the program. The local court rules shall comply with the criteria established by the administrative office of the courts and shall include:

     (1) A requirement that all judicial officers hearing cases in unified family court:

     (a) Complete an initial training program including the topic areas of childhood development, domestic violence, cultural awareness, child abuse and neglect, chemical dependency, and mental illness; and

     (b) Subsequent to the training in (a) of this subsection, annually attend a minimum of eight hours of continuing education of pertinence to the unified family court;

     (2) Case management that is based on the practice of one judge or judicial team handling all matters relating to a family;

     (3) An emphasis on coordinating or consolidating, to the extent possible, all cases before the unified family court relating to a family; and

     (4) Programs that provide for record confidentiality to protect the confidentiality of court records in accordance with the law. However law enforcement agencies shall have access to the records to the extent permissible under the law.

[2005 c 282 § 32; 1999 c 397 § 3.]