In the 315th District Court
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In the 315th District Court
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Ended indiscriminate shackling
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Judge Shapiro ended indiscriminate shackling of detained youth appearing in the 315th District Court, a practice that had impacted youth in the court for decades. People appearing in court should be treated with the same dignity and respect, regardless of circumstances.
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Improved docket access and efficiency pre- and post-pandemic |
Judge Shapiro made the 315th District Court accessible for both remote and in-person appearances to accommodate the needs of the individual participants. As a result, the court has disposed of the largest number of delinquency felony cases while maintaining the lowest percentage of Texas Juvenile Justice Division dispositions. By taking immediate measures to address the challenges of COVID-19, the court maintained its CPS docket and limited permissible extensions in order to provide finality for children and families.
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Improved representation
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All children and families, regardless of financial circumstances, deserve quality representation. Judge Shapiro leads the juvenile judges in appointing the Harris County Public Defender's Office. She sponsored the amendment to the Juvenile Board to require bias education for attorneys seeking court appointments in the Juvenile District Courts. Judge Shapiro headed the implementation of a competency exam for eligibility to represent indigent juveniles and volunteered to be the pilot court to explore managed assigned counsel (MAC) for the Juvenile District Courts.
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Dedicated time to the individualized needs of the youth
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The 315th is the pilot court for the Dual Status Docket in Harris County. Dual status youth are children involved in both the CPS and delinquency systems. The 315th District Court has a dedicated docket to meet with the children and their teams to tailor plans and eliminate duplicating services. In order to address the specific needs of the most vulnerable youth, the court also presides over C.A.R.E. Court (the juvenile sex trafficking court) and Court 360 (the juvenile mental health court). The 315th court makes it a priority to meet with children, who are the subject of CPS matters, to ensure their voice is considered when decisions are made.
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The C.A.R.E. Court
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Judge Shapiro presides over the C.A.R.E. Court: Creating Acceptance Recovery Empowerment Court. The court serves youth identified as being actively engaged in or at risk of becoming involved in commercial sexual exploitation/sex trafficking by offering specialized supervision and therapeutic services. By utilizing a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and strength-based approach, C.A.R.E. Court effectively addresses the underlying trauma associated with each youth’s at-risk behaviors and related delinquent conduct.
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Court 360
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Judge Dena Fisher, Associate Judge of the 315th, presides over Court 360, which is a mental health specialty court. Court 360 focuses on helping young people with diagnoses and their families in identifying and addressing youths’ underlying mental health concerns associated with their at-risk and delinquent behaviors by providing intensive supervision and individualized case planning. Through advocacy, collaboration, and mentorship, youth are connected to services in their communities that address their mental health needs, enhance family functioning issues, and promote academic achievement, vocational attainment, and positive community engagement
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Dual Status Docket
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Both Judges also preside over the Dual Status Docket. Dual Status works with youth involved in both the delinquency and dependency systems, some of the most vulnerable populations involved in the court system. The court collaborates with Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Department of Child and Protective Services, and the University of Houston Law School’s Juvenile & Children’s Advocacy Project (JCAP)service providers to address the specific needs of dually involved youth, address trauma, and eliminate duplication.
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Education and Community Building Around Juvenile Sex Trafficking |
Judge Shapiro aims to better systems and education beyond the matters appearing in the 315th District Court. As a member of the Houston Area Child Sex Trafficking Team Advisory Council, she works to improve collaboration and transparency, eliminate the additional victimization caused by detention in the criminal justice system, and ensure that every Houston-area child sex trafficking victim receives the most coordinated, effective, and trauma-informed response possible. She recently joined the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission Human Trafficking Judicial Workgroup with members of the judiciary throughout the state to update the Children’s Commission’s Human Trafficking Bench Book and bench card. Recently, Judge Shapiro was honored to be invited to the Children’s Justice Act Statewide Multidisciplinary Task Force. She, along with stakeholders from across the state, are taking on the task to eliminate child sex abuse.
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Court Operations and Representation
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Locally, Judge Shapiro sits, for the second time, as the Harris County Juvenile Board Vice Chair, Secretary. As a member of the Harris County Juvenile Board, Judge Shapiro sponsored the amendment to require bias education for attorneys seeking court appointments to represent indigent clients. Judge Shapiro is a member of the Harris County Judicial Working Group and Jury Committee, where she, along with other judges, coordinated jury plans, crafted policies and procedures with local authorities, assisted with compliance coordination, and addressed the needs of the county and district courts during the pandemic.
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Re-Elect Judge Leah Shapiro for 315th District Court |
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© 2021 | Political advertising paid for by the Leah Shapiro Campaign for Judge, Pankti Patel, Treasurer, which subscribes to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices.
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