| Standards of Review for Federal Administrative Hearing Decisions |
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| Federal agencies make administrative decisions in regulatory, entitlement, and enforcement cases. The agency can make an informal decision or hold a formal administrative hearing in a case. If the person or company affected by the decision is dissatisfied with the agency's decision, the decision is subject to review by a higher level within the agency or by a court. This article discusses the standards of review applied by a court in evaluating federal administrative agency decisions. More... |
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| Problem-Solving Courts |
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| Problem-solving courts were developed to handle recurring cases, especially in the areas of domestic violence, drug-related offenses, and crimes involving mentally ill or mentally disabled individuals. Problem-solving courts use a therapeutic justice model, emphasizing treatment of the underlying problem. They seek tangible results for victims, for offenders and for the general public. They coordinate with public agencies and community organizations to offer treatment as an alternative to incarceration.More... |
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| Juvenile Courts |
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| A juvenile court is a specialized civil court dealing with children who are under the age of 18 who are abused, neglected, dependent, delinquent, and status offenders. Some juvenile courts also have the power to require treatment for mentally ill or developmentally disabled children. The goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate the juvenile. The juvenile court makes use of social service programs. There are important differences between juvenile courts and other civil courts. Juvenile hearings are usually closed to the public so that the juvenile's privacy is protected. A juvenile has no right to request a trial by jury. Juveniles cannot post bail in order to be released from detention. The probation officers involved in the juvenile justice system are court employees. They conduct evaluations and prepare reports to aid the juvenile judges in deciding a case. They also supervise juveniles who are placed on probation and report on the progress of juveniles on probation. More... |
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| Using Mediation in Workers' Compensation Appeals |
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| Mediation is a method of alternative dispute resolution. A mediator (neutral third party) helps the litigants resolve their dispute in an informal process. The mediator facilitates negotiations and helps the litigants identify issues, problem solve, and explore settlement possibilities. The mediator has no authority to make a decision about the case. Mediation is increasingly being used to resolve appeals in workers' compensation cases.More... |
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| The Office of the Independent Counsel |
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| Following the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Ethics Act). The law created a Special Prosecutor (the name was later changed to Independent Counsel) to investigate possible crimes by high government officials. The Independent Counsel provision of the Ethics Act expired, and new Independent Counsel legislation that was passed in 1994 expired in 1999 and was not renewed. The Attorney General of the United States now has sole discretion to appoint an outside prosecutor.More... |
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