Disasters with the potential to disrupt - or even shut down - court systems can be as diverse and unpredictable as tornados or unanticipated high-profile cases, such as the 2000 election dispute in Florida, Criminal Court Judge Lillie Ann Sells said.
Judge Sells led a local delegation invited to participate in a statewide disaster preparedness seminar conducted by the Administrative Office of the Courts and funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs. Other representatives from the 13 th Judicial District, including Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White counties, were White County General Sessions Judge Sam Benningfield; Cumberland County Circuit Court Clerk Larry Sherrill; and Tyler Smith of Putnam County Emergency Management Services.
"The message we took home was that disasters can come in many forms and are not just those we generally think about, such as fires, storms and even terrorism," Judge Sells said. "Having plans to cover all kinds of problems will minimize their effect on the judicial system. We are in the process of developing those plans so we will be prepared in the event that we are unfortunate enough to face a disaster."
She said the seminar included local officials from Jackson and Clarksville, where court facilities were destroyed by tornados. The participants shared information about plans they had in place at the time that were helpful and what they would do differently if disaster were to strike again.
Other speakers and panelists discussed disasters ranging from mold that forced the closing of a Florida court building to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Speakers included Craig Waters, public information officer for the Florida Supreme Court, who was spokesperson during the Florida election case and who helped prepare the Florida judicial system's disaster preparedness plan. He discussed the impact of high-profile cases on the operation of courts and also how to prepare for natural and other disasters. Florida's disaster plan is considered a national model for judicial systems.
Mai Yee, communications director for the New York Unified Court System, told the 87 attendees from across Tennessee, how courts in her city coped following the terrorist attacks and what has been done since then to prepare for any future disasters. Walt Hampton, technology division director for the Administrative Office of the Courts, offered suggestions for protecting electronic records and Steve Steadman, with Policy Studies, Inc. of Denver, discussed, "Where to Begin - Developing a Disaster Plan."
"The seminar was especially helpful because it did not focus on only one type of disaster or offer one-dimensional plans for preparing and coping," Judge Sells said. "Disaster can strike any community in this state and it is critical that if it does, the judicial system continue to function or resume functioning as quickly as possible. Careful and thoughtful planning is the key to ensuring that would happen."