Not every youth who commits a crime goes before the black robe. That's state law. Instead, these youth are offered an opportunity to get back on track. For immigrant communities, our judicial system is very different from the one they experienced back home. So King County Juvenile Court partners with many organizations to educate and it works. One program in particular - Community Accountability Boards - is making a difference for the entire family.

To keep kids out of the juvenile justice system, or at least keep them from coming back after they've been held accountable for what they did, it really does take a village. This week KIRO Radio's Hanna Scott takes in in-depth look at the all the people who participate along the way. Whether that person is a cop on the street to a black robe in the courtroom or the many stops in-between.  Episode 1: the first touch with the CJ system.

King County Superior Court is exploring a new project: out-of-custody appearances via video. Not for everyone...but it could work for some. Learn more about where we are on this innovative idea.

Because we so rarely go to court, it's not surprising that people freely admit they don't know the difference between Superior, District and Municipal Courts. In 6 minutes, we can change that! Take a listen.

The court's bench is becoming more diverse. We have three judges fluent in Spanish. One is Judge Michael Diaz. His story and his passion for Juvenile Court is the subject of our the latest installment of "15 Minutes with...." Prefer video? Check out his on camera version.

If you ask Judge Tanya Thorp what she wishes everyone knew about Family Court, she's quick to answer: we have so many services available. And when 76% of the cases arrive with no or only one attorney, that's really important. Learn more about Family Court in this 9 minute podcast.

How do you get people to show up to court? Sounds simple - you make them! Put them in jail if they don't! It's not that easy. The issues are deeper than that and far, far more complex. A new court pilot project comes online in January 2020 designed to address those deeper issues and create lasting solutions. Judge Bill Bowman explains what the South County Pre-Trial Services Pilot project is, who it helps and how it works. It's 17 minutes long and really interesting.

It started as a typical day with drug court clients sitting outside the King County Courthouse (Seattle) 9th floor courtroom, waiting for the doors to open. From the inside, Drug Court employee Yuka Hayashi heard a knock. Here's what happened when she answered.