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 News & Updates
February 18, 2010
Strengthening Community Relationships -
African Congolese
Learn more...
February 9, 2010
Justice Initiatives announces new
Speakers Bureau!
Learn more...
January 4, 2010
Justice Initiatives is pleased to
announce that Billy Wilson,
philanthropist, has joined the board of
directors.
Learn more
about Billy...
December 15, 2009
Justice Initiatives releases its
December 2009 newsletter.
Learn more...
News & Updates Archive
Need help with court
forms?
I-CAN!™ Legal is a low cost online
application that will fill out court
forms for you by asking you simple
questions and putting your answers on
the forms in the correct place.
Go to I-CAN!
Need to address a traffic ticket?
MeckTrafficTickets is an online service
you can use to negotiate speeding
tickets and to resolve compliance
tickets without going to court.
Go to MeckTrafficTickets
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Why Do We Do
It?
THE VALUE
OF JUSTICE: In Liberty, In Lives, In Dollars
The judicial branch is one of the three
cornerstones of our representative democracy,
the other two being the executive and
legislative branches. Courts exist to protect
our liberties and rights, and to serve justice.
The efficient and effective administration of
justice is essential to a healthy and vibrant
community. Given the important and compelling
role this institution plays in determining our
quality of life, every individual has a vested
interest in ensuring that our courts are managed
efficiently and possess the resources they need.
In today's world, government funds are limited,
change from year to year, and cover core
functions to a limited extent. In a good budget
year, there is some money available for
additional, innovative programs, which data has
demonstrated, produce results. In a bad year,
these funds are reduced or eliminated.
Professionals in our system tell us that many of
our best justice programs which actually affect
crime, keep troubled families intact, and save
taxpayer dollars in the long run, are hobbled by
the perennial question of whether they will
receive funding. Additionally, those same
professionals seek assistance from time to time
in meeting short-term needs and in the
development of new programs.
Quality justice programs require steady,
reliable support to serve all of the people, all
of the time. If we desire a better court system,
we must advocate and assist in its improvement.
That is what Justice Initiatives seeks to do. It
is an advocate for the local administration of
justice and the professionals who work in it for
the benefit of the community. It is also an
entity which seeks to raise funds to meet
short-term, ad hoc needs of the court to the
extent money is available. Justice Initiatives
has no large staff nor budget. It operates with
concerned volunteers who seek to enlist the
assistance of the local community to see that
more funding is directed to Mecklenburg County,
to support local professionals in the creation
of smart justice programs, and endeavor to
locate seed money for innovative programs that
will improve the administration of justice for
all of our citizens.
We Have a Choice!
We can have a court system that breaks the cycle
of crime by treating the underlying issues that
drive deviant behavior. We can have a justice
system that comprehensively addresses problems
like families in crisis, mental illness,
substance abuse and child neglect. Our courts
can provide programs, services, and education
aimed at rebuilding lives and helping
individuals become productive members of
society. We can have a first-class court system,
one that embraces innovation and technology
geared toward prompt and expert dispute
resolution and one that creates an environment
to help our community attract corporations and
businesses. We can have all of these things, but
it will require your help in ensuring that the
judicial program needs in Mecklenburg County are
met.
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