A new court could move homeless defendants through the criminal justice system quickly and, some supporters say, eventually off the streets.
The Regional Homeless Court will convene once a month and only hear the cases of people who are dedicated to rehabilitation, said Rick Rager, deputy court manager for Tempe Municipal Court.
"People aren't placed in this court by virtue of just being homeless," Rager added.
Clients must participate in a court-approved treatment program for at least 90 days before their cases are heard, he said.
The court, a partnership between the Tempe and Phoenix municipal courts, officially starts March 21.
The Regional Homeless Court would address misdemeanors, such as public alcohol consumption and aggressive panhandling, Rager said.
Both Phoenix and Tempe will process cases, Rager said, before deciding whether to forward them to the new court.
Other cities could also join this program to deal with criminal cases involving the homeless, Rager added. But other communities won't be brought on board until the court's initial success is evaluated.
The court could increase the chance homeless defendants show up for hearings, said Kevin Kane, court staff attorney for the Phoenix Municipal Court.
The homeless often never appear in court due to a sense of confusion and fear, he said.
"They don't feel that they're adequately dressed or clean or they don't understand the system," Kane added.
A more comfortable venue could reduce the number of no-shows and the backlog of cases involving homeless defendants, he said.
Teresa James, homeless coordinator for Tempe, said the court could help the homeless get in touch with homeless shelters and potential employers.
"Anything that helps a homeless person take care of the issues that are contributing to them being homeless is a good thing," James added.
Alane Fried, the director of the Homeless Legal Assistance Project at ASU, said the court could help get people off the streets.
Fried, a second-year law student, said her group offers legal advice and would refer homeless clients to the regional court if they're eligible.
The court could free the homeless from a burdening legal case that might have kept them from holding a job or driving a car, she said.
"They don't have to be scared of being arrested." Fried said. "It's an incentive to deal with the problem."
Louraine Arkfeld, Tempe Municipal Court's presiding judge, will be the homeless court's first sitting judge. She was chosen partly because she has presided over Tempe's Mental Health Court, Rager said.
The Mental Health Court, established in November 2004, manages the cases of seriously mentally ill people.
Many defendants whose cases were heard there were also homeless, Rager said.
The new court will be held at the Day Resource Center on Phoenix's human services campus, which is located near the state Capitol.
Reach the reporter at grayson.steinberg@asu.edu.
