Court News

2013 Parent University Conference at the Juvenile Justice Center

Gang Resistance and Training (GREAT)

On April 18^th, three hundred and fifty students at Antioch Middle School graduated from Gang Resistance and Training (GREAT).   Students from the 5^th and 6^th grade classes received their diplomas from Juvenile Court Judge Sophia Brown Crawford indicating successful completion of the program offered through Officer Ed Hernandez of Juvenile Court and Michael Burgess from the Metro Police Department. 

GREAT is an evidenced based gang and violence prevention program built around school based, law enforcement officer instructed classroom curricula.  The program is intended as an early prevention and intervention against delinquency, youth violence, and gang involvement focusing on adolescents immediately before prime ages for introduction into gangs and delinquent behavior.

The GREAT Program offers a continuum of components for students and their families through a thirteen lesson middle school curriculum that concentrates on providing life skills to students to help avoid using delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems.

Judge Crawford and her staff have worked in collaboration with Metropolitan Public Schools and Metropolitan Police Department to present the program to Antioch Middle School. 

JUVENILE COURT LEGAL TRAINING

On March 27^th, thirty one attorneys, as well as representatives from Victim Witness Office, Public Defender, and Department of Children’s Services  participated at juvenile court in training on legal issues surrounding detention of juveniles conducted by Assistant Attorney General Stacy Miller  and Magistrate J. Michael O’Neil.  The training was sanctioned for continuing legal education through our Administrative Office of Courts –Court Improvement Project.  This  is the first in a series of lunch and learn topics organized by General Miller that are unique to practice and procedures within juvenile court and will be offered on a monthly basis by Judge Sophia Brown Crawford. 

Christmas with Santa at Stratton Enhanced Option

Rigsby Sworn in as Davidson County Juvenile Magistrate

Melinda Rigsby was sworn in Monday December 6, 2012  as a new magistrate at Davidson County Juvenile Court, filling the position that created by the appointment of Sophia Brown Crawford as judge. 

Judge Green retired in September of 2012. She had served since1998 when she was elected the first female juvenile court judge in Davidson County.

During her undergraduate years at Vanderbilt University, Betty Adams Green began working with at risk children and families, a career choice that she has followed for more than 40 years.  While still in college, she worked each summer in a girl’s correctional school, and following her graduation in 1968, she began teaching in that same facility.  While working she pursued her Masters Degree from Middle Tennessee State University by attending night and weekend classes, and in 1972, she received her degree.

After teaching for seven years, she moved to Nashville and began work with the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, an advocacy agency for children and families.  In this role she worked closely with the Tennessee General Assembly, community agencies, and juvenile courts on such issues as the reform of Tennessee’s foster care system, changes in our child abuse laws and amendments to statutes governing unruly and delinquent youth.  In 1980, she was instrumental in the development of legislation creating the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and was appointed by Governor Lamar Alexander as the first Executive Secretary of that agency.  While serving in this capacity, she determined that a law degree would be invaluable in her work with the juvenile courts across the state as well as in her legislative efforts, so she enrolled in the Nashville School of Law.  Following her tenure there she graduated first in her class and went on to pass the bar exam.

Betty went to work in the District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney assigned to Nashville’s Juvenile Court in 1985, and handled all cases involving unruly and delinquent youth.  During this period, Governor Ned Ray McWherter announced his plans to create a separate department of state government to serve a delinquent and unruly youth and she was appointed as the first commissioner for this agency.  In only a few short years the department was called a “model for the nation” by then Attorney General Janet Reno.  During these years of service, Betty was responsible for implementing many new programs and bringing new focus to the needs of disadvantaged youth.

Following her service as commissioner, Betty worked as Regional Vice President for Children’s Comprehensive Service. While working for delinquent, unruly and disadvantaged youth she has also remained an active and contributing member of her community.  A member of a number of professional organizations, she is also active in Tulip Street United Methodist Church, Historic Edgefield, Inc. and other community programs, and serves on the board of the directors for the Martha O’Bryan Center.

While she has received awards recognizing her contributions to the juvenile justice field, she believes her greatest success has been raising her children to be strong 
young men and women, and to see them establish families and careers of their own which reflect values and priorities necessary for strong leaders.

2010 ANNUAL JUVENILE COURT CHILI-COOKOFF RAISES FUNDS FOR STRATTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Chili Cook-off is a fun way to raise funds for Stratton Elementary School.  The Court is Stratton's Pencil Partner.  The 2009 Chilli Cook-Off was a great success bringing in over a $1000. These funds will be used for school supplies, clothing,  1^st Day of School activities, the Boo-Hoo Breakfast, Field Day, and Santa’s Bags.  Thanks to everyone that donated time and money to a very worthy cause.