Subdivision 1. Child abuse; domestic abuse; harassment. The supreme court's judicial education program must include ongoing training for district court judges on child and adolescent sexual abuse, domestic abuse, harassment, stalking, and related civil and criminal court issues. The program must include the following:

(1) information about the specific needs of victims;

(2) education on the causes of sexual abuse and family violence;

(3) education on culturally responsive approaches to serving victims;

(4) education on the impacts of domestic abuse and domestic abuse allegations on children and the importance of considering these impacts when making parenting time and child custody decisions under chapter 518; and

(5) information on alleged and substantiated reports of domestic abuse, including, but not limited to, Department of Human Services survey data.

The program also must emphasize the need for the coordination of court and legal victim advocacy services and include education on sexual abuse and domestic abuse programs and policies within law enforcement agencies and prosecuting authorities as well as the court system.

Subd. 2. Sexual violence. The supreme court's judicial education program must include ongoing training for judges, judicial officers, court services personnel, and sex offender assessors on the specific sentencing statutes and Sentencing Guidelines applicable to persons convicted of sex offenses and other crimes that are sexually motivated. The training shall focus on the sentencing provisions applicable to repeat sex offenders and patterned sex offenders.

Subd. 3. Bail evaluations. The supreme court's judicial education program also must include training for judges, judicial officers, and court services personnel on how to assure that their bail evaluations and decisions are racially and culturally neutral.

History: 1992 c 571 art 6 s 1; 1993 c 326 art 2 s 3; 1994 c 636 art 4 s 28; art 8 s 8; 1995 c 226 art 2 s 6; 1997 c 239 art 7 s 6; 2000 c 444 art 2 s 11