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Volume X- Issue 243 August 1-15, 2012 Published 1st & 15th Each Month Phalconstar.com Garland, Texas Phone (972) 926-8503 Fax (903) 450-1397 1 Year Subscription $45.00 VOL XVII ISSUE 12
Volume X- Issue 243 August 1-15, 2012 Published 1st & 15th Each Month Phalconstar.com Garland, Texas Phone (972) 926-8503 Fax (903) 450-1397 FEBRUARY 1 Year Subscription $45.00 7, 2018
Free at Last MY TRUTH
By Cheryl Smith Publisher
I began this year’s African American Heritage Month watching TV One’s award-winning series, “UnSung� featuring comedians George Wallace and Dick Gregory. Both men used humor to entertain and educate. As I gear up for another month of excellent programming, I wonder, as I usually do; why is it that during February there is a wealth of information to share about the history of Black people?
District Clerk Felicia Pitre, District Attorney Faith Johnson and UNT Dallas Law School Professor Atty. Cheryl Wattley
Here’s some good news to start the month off! For the second time in as many years, Dallas County will be holding an expunction expo to “clear records for people who, by law, are eligible� to have their records expunged. “There are individuals within Dallas County who cannot obtain employment, higher education or even serve our country in the military See MY TRUTH, page 3
KEMP: Setting record straight! My name is Judge Tammy Kemp and I am the presiding Judge of the 204th Judicial District Court. I am running for re-election and asking for your support at the polls in the upcoming 2018 Democratic Primary. I would like to take this opportunity before early voting begins on February 20th to ensure you are well-informed about the transformation and successes of the 204th since I took the bench and to set the record straight with the facts on a key issue that has been raised during this campaign.
EFFICIENCY TRANSFORMATION
When I began my first term on the bench four years ago, one of the first things I did was hire and recruit some of the best and brightest court personnel at the Frank Crowley Courts Building to ensure we had a strong team to serve you — the citizens of Dallas County. Putting a talented, experienced and knowledgeable team in place was and continues to be key to the court’s day-to-day operations and overall efficiency. Once our staff was in place, we did an assessment of the pending cases in the 204th as well as the manner in which the court operated under my predecessor and identified multiple deficiencies and opportunities for improvement. One of the primary ways that a criminal court’s success is measured, is based on the rate in which pending cases on the court’s docket are disposed. This rate of efficiency has a direct correlation between a particular court and the number of men and women who are sitting in the county jail at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, awaiting court action
offenders become productive citizens, Project Phoenix targets adults, ages 17 to 30, and partners with the various trades of the AFL-CIO to teach eligible participants a marketable skill while earning a living wage through an apprenticeship. To date, we have had 20 individuals successfully complete the program since its inception in 2016. (bond reduction hearings, pre-trial hearings, trials, sentencing, etc.). We successfully streamlined the court’s docket process, and thereby reduced the number of individuals in jail pending court action in the 204th from an average of 300 defendants per month down to approximately 100 defendants per month. At a daily cost of $70 per day to house an individual in the county jail, this translates into cost savings to taxpayers. As a result of the enhancements we made under my administration, in my first year on the bench, we moved the 204th Judicial District Court from the worst ranked felony court (#17 out of 17 courts) to the number one felony court in Dallas County — a distinction that we proudly maintain today.
PROJECT PHOENIX: A CAMPAIGN PROMISE KEPT
When I ran for judge in 2014, one of the things I campaigned on was my vision to create a specialized program to impact low-level offenders by providing them with an opportunity to turn their lives around and be successful. After I won, I moved forward with turning that dream into a reality by partnering with the Dallas AFL-CIO to create a second chance initiative known as Project Phoenix. Designed to assist first-time
“Judge Kemp approached us about collaborating on an innovative program to mutually benefit both first-time, non-violent offenders and the trade industry prior to winning her elected position four years ago,� said Mark York, Dallas AFL-CIO. “She is genuinely passionate about rehabilitating those individuals who end up in the criminal justice system because of life circumstances, lack of guidance or poor choices. It was a campaign promise that Judge Kemp kept; and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve as the nucleus of Project Phoenix as we strive to restore dignity and equip people with the necessary job skills to help take care of their families.� Project Phoenix is available to all Dallas County courts.
BAIL REFORM
Another issue impacting the criminal justice system that I am passionate about is the continual need to overhaul the county’s bail policies and procedures. Historically, the bond payment system has been vulnerable to socio-economic bias towards indigent defendants, emphasizing the divide between the have and have nots. In other See JUDGE KEMP, page 5
Garland Board and Volunteer Fair Come enjoy an evening of networking and conversation with more than 30 of Garland's nonprofit, civic and community organizations. These organizations are seeking both volunteers and/or open board vacancies. The Garland Board & Volunteer Fair is hosted by the City of Garland and the Kiwanis Club of Garland. Free to attend. Register at KiwanisClubofGarland.org as an attendee, organization or sponsor.
Garland ISD’s reopens Planetarium Garland ISD’s Planetarium has reopened its doors after seven years of dormancy. The GISD Planetarium, which opened in 1976 at Lakeview Centennial High School, has been completely renovated thanks to the 2014 bond program. The latest technology and a state-of-theart, 360-degree screened dome with interactive simulations of distant galaxies, the Earth’s layers, the human skeleton and more will impact students across the district. Garland ISD is proud to provide teachers with an opportunity to take lessons to the next level and give students a truly memorable learning experience. Third-graders from Davis Elementary School kicked off the grand reopening on Feb. 1.