Idea: Teen Court in Carmel

I think Carmel would benefit from having a Teen Court program, like other cities and towns across the United States.  Currently, there are over 1000 such programs in almost every state in the nation, including several in Indiana. What is Teen Court? Youth courts (also called teen, peer, and student courts) are programs in which youth sentence their peers for minor delinquent and status offenses and other problem behaviors. The programs are designed to reduce recidivism for first-time juvenile offenders by giving them a second chance to repair the harm they have caused without experiencing formal court prosecution.  You can learn more about such courts at http://www.youthcourt.net and http://www.reachforyouth.org/teenCourtSched.php.

If elected, I promise to work with the appropriate people in Carmel and Hamilton County to determine if such a court could be established and, if it can, to make it happen.

Idea: Improve Legal Materials of the Carmel Clay Public Library (CCPL)

I believe the legal section of the Carmel Clay Public Library (CCPL) could be better.  In fact, I think it could be much better. If elected, I would work with CCPL, members of the community and the bar to make sure that it is meeting the growing and diverse needs of the citizens of Carmel.  To the extent possible, I would take ownership of this component of the library and make it an extension of the Court. It is very common for courts to facilitate basic access to legal reference materials.  Although a lot of good information can be found on the internet, I still think the library can be a valuable resource for many people. When it comes to legal matters – I would want the people of Carmel to know that they can count on the library to be a good starting source for information. This will allow them to make more informed decisions and be better prepared if and when they speak to an attorney.

Although my primary focus would be on reference materials, I would also ensure the library was well stocked with non-reference legal materials such as novels by John Grisham. This also has the potential for reading clubs and speakers on legal matters.