June 27, 2024, A Question of Ethics Conversation Episode
Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management
Equal access to justice can only be realized in an environment of safety and security. We must ensure the safety of those with and those without disabilities. Disabilities can include, physical, traumatic, psychological, mental illness, congenital birth defects, personality disorders, addictive disabilities, as well as cultural and language differences.
We live in a rapidly changing threat landscape. Courts all stakeholders at the table and need to conduct a comprehensive security assessment, preferably using a gap analysis. Courts must have political buy-in from the highest level. We need to make data-driven decisions.
Solutions include training in de-escalation and non-escalation; recognizing the signs of people in crisis; using new classes of employees such as court navigators. We need to consider new innovative and technological solutions such as expanded use of videoconferencing, innovative security wanding techniques, and using AI to identify litigants who are suspicious.
You don’t want to miss this insightful discussion.
Listen to the June 27, 2024, Episode of A Question of Ethics Conversation on your way to or from work. In your car or on the bus. 33 Minutes 51 Seconds
Watch the June 27, 2024, Episode of A Question of Ethics Conversation on YouTube 42 Minutes 7 Seconds
Join the Conversation
Join us live when we hold the Question of Ethics Conversation. Episodes are recorded immediately following the monthly NACM Ethics Subcommittee meeting on the fourth Thursday of the month. Check the NACM Committee webpage for the schedule and Zoom link.
You can also email us at ethics@nacmnet.org
Moderator
Rick Pierce is the Judicial Programs Administrator of the Judicial District Operations and Programs Department. he has served in the field of court administration for the past twenty-nine years. Prior to his appointment at the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, Rick was the district court administrator for Cumberland County. Prior to his 4 ½ year tenure as court administrator, Rick was the assistant administrator for the 9th judicial district from 1988-1997.
As judicial programs administrator, Rick is responsible for the implementation of programs and education in court administration at the general and limited jurisdiction court levels.
Rick served as the President for the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management for 2005-2006. Previously he has served on the MAACM advisory board from 1997-2005.
A graduate from Washington and Lee University, Rick received his Masters in Public Administration from Shippensburg University in 1995. He has been an active member of the Pennsylvania Association of Court Management, (PACM) since its inception in 1989. He has served as a board member from 1994-2001, culminating in his presidency in 2000-2001.
Today’s Panel
Robert Granzow serves as the Director for the Office of Judicial District Security at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). In his present position, Mr. Granzow provides strategic guidance in all matters related to the security of the Commonwealth’s 67 trial courts and 509 limited jurisdiction courts.
Prior to joining the AOPC, Robert was employed as a senior global security manager with a multinational corporation where he championed enterprise risk management and security initiatives throughout EMEA, Mexico, Canada and the United States.
His professional background further includes appointments in law enforcement and academia.
Prior to joining the AOPC, Robert was employed as a senior global security manager with a multinational corporation where he championed enterprise risk management and security initiatives throughout EMEA, Mexico, Canada and the United States. His professional background further includes appointments in law enforcement and academia.
Robert holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from St. Joseph’s University, and a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice from York College of Pennsylvania. He is an alumnus of the FEMA National Emergency Management Executive Academy (NEMEA) in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and theCenter for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leaders Program (ELP) at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
He is a graduate of the PA State Police Municipal Police Academy and has completed executive leaderships programs at the Penn State University, Northwestern University, Boston University, and Georgetown University.
Robert served honorably with the United States Naval Reserves and Pennsylvania National Guard. He is a life member of the Northeast PA Chiefs of Police Association, has served as chairman of the Central PA Chapter of ASIS International, and was honored as a recipient of Security Magazine’s ‘Most Influential People in Security’.
His community commitments include volunteering with the Pennsylvania Medical Reserve Corps and serving on the board for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Courtney Whiteside is passionately dedicated to providing the citizens of Missouri with a fair and unbiased judiciary through education and collaboration with the other branches of government, our community and national partners and providing our judicial staff with the tools to be successful in this fast-paced environment. Her journey in the judiciary started in 2012 in her hometown of St. Charles, Missouri as a court clerk then taking her to Jefferson City to work with the Office of State Courts Administrator and on to the Missouri Supreme Court to serve as the state’s municipal division courts monitor.
Today Courtney is the Director of the St. Louis County Municipal Division where she continues to pursue providing educational opportunities to municipal divisions and clerks through various committees and educational groups of the state while promoting cultural and procedural reform progression. It is her great honor to partner with judicial partners in Missouri and across the nation.
Creadell Webb is the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania (FJD). He is a highly experienced and accomplished professional with a proven track record of success in creating inclusive work environments.
Creadell held a variety of positions at the FJD, including judicial law clerk, manager, and deputy chief. In those roles, he demonstrated his ability to lead and motivate teams, draft legal documents, and manage complex projects. He is also a skilled trainer and educator who has conducted numerous Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and educational training programs on DEI.
Creadell earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Howard University and a Juris Doctorate from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Creadell is a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certified professional and holds a “Diversity and Inclusion” certificate from Cornell University’s online program. He is passionate about creating a more just and equitable society. He is a strong advocate for equity in the court system, the legal world, and society.
Erika Schmid is the Judicial Clerk Supervisor at Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon. She started as a legal assistant at a public defense office and began her journey at the courthouse by being a judicial clerk. Erika was introduced to NACM very quickly upon becoming a supervisor as she attended the Minneapolis mid-year conference in 2023, just two months after she started her new position.
Going to this NACM conference opened her eyes to all the wonderful possibilities of being involved in the court system and she quickly joined the Early Career Professionals committee meetings to learn more and make connections.
Roger Rand is the IT Manager for the Multnomah Circuit Court, in Portland, Oregon. The Multnomah Circuit Court is the largest of the 36 judicial districts that make up the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). The OJD is a statewide general jurisdiction court system. The Multnomah Circuit Court spans 5 court locations and has 56 Judicial officers and over 330 staff that manage all types of case types including municipal parking and traffic cases, civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, and probate.
Roger has a BA in English from the University of Notre Dame.
Roger interned with the Oregon Attorney General’s office and started his career in the Multnomah Circuit Court in 1993. He moved into court technology around the year 2000. He worked as an IT Trainer, Help Desk Lead, Help Desk Supervisor and became IT Manager in 2015. Roger’s responsibilities include managing departments that provide technical hardware and software support, software development, training, data analysis, and project management. He is a member of a court management team that oversees all local court operations. He works closely with the OJD’s Enterprise Technology office that oversees the statewide Tyler Odyssey system, the information technology data network and security systems. Roger is also the chair of the Multnomah Circuit Court Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee.
Roger joined the NACM board in July 2021. He is the Vice Chair of the NACM Communication Committee and leads a team of technicians managing NACM’s webpage content. His is also the Vice Chair of the NACM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Court Leader 