Posts Tagged ‘Judge Sanford Jones – Atlanta’

Delivering Happiness

Monday, January 16th, 2012

Smiles everywhere for this adoptive family at the Fulton County Courthouse ©c. releford

Part two of our coverage of the National Adoption Day event finds reflections from judges, more images, and stories of hope, patience and love.

Father and daughter

Wandering through the event, I was struck by the energy of joy and anticipation in the kids and their parents.

You could almost feel them exhale because the day had finally arrived, but also notice their jitters in wanting to finally hold their certificate of adoption.

As Judge Phillip Jackson pointed out, the process of adoption can take anywhere from ” a couple of months to well over a year.”

The Juvenile Justice Fund works year round through the Family Visitation Program to make sure that children find a safe and loving home environment, whether that be with a child’s birth family or with an adoptive family.

Rep. John Lewis & Judge Jackson

It’s all about finding the place that’s right for the child.

Adoption is a big step for our court families and for their children, which is why the practice of making the final legal action of adoption a real celebration and milestone began 10 years ago with then Chief Judge Sanford “Sammy” Jones.

I found a mother and her son seated under a portrait of the late “Sammy” Jones.

Magic in his adoption day

She was wearing a big smile on her face, studying his portrait, and then she told me the story of her adoption which had taken several years.

She persevered, and today was finally the legal mother of “Magic,”  a four year old boy in a wheelchair.

She said she’d been working on it since he was three months old, and because Magic had special needs, many had discouraged her from trying to adopt him.

A new family © c releford

Judge Jones, she explained, was different, and encouraged her.  He cleared the way for her adoption to go ahead, making special arrangements for her and for Magic. Today her joy was palpable.

Thanks to over 100 volunteers ranging from court personnel, Juvenile Justice Fund members, Boy Scouts and Lions Club, National Adoption Day at the Fulton County Juvenile Court becomes a real standout day for families.

Boy Scouts carry gift basket

The festivities included a full hot meal, a personal message from U.S. Rep. John Lewis, himself an adoptive father, a cake party, customized gift baskets, special activities for the kids, and of course, the official adoption ceremony for each individual family in judges’ chambers.

Judge Phillip Jackson spoke with me about Adoption Day at the Courthouse.

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Martha Turner is the Communications Manager for the
Juvenile Justice Fund
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Back To School & The Judge Jones Youth Fund

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Tonnisha LaSalle, JJF Director of Operations

JJF’s Tonnisha LaSalle, Director of Operations is busy helping our children get ready for school. Find out how you can help below.

“As we approach a new school year, we recognize that many of the children we serve may have needs directly associated with attending school.

“Each child should be properly prepared to learn and be allowed every opportunity to succeed.

“I encourage you to donate to the Judge Jones Youth Fund (JJYF).  Unfortunately the funds in this account are very low, so your support right now is greatly needed and appreciated.

Judge "Sammy" Sanford Jones

“Judge “Sammy” Jones was always interested in our children as children, not just faces coming through the system. He hoped each child could enjoy a whole sense of well being. A champion of a play space for the children, and of providing a homelike environment when they came through the courts, Judge Jones created the JJYF so that any child coming through the Court with a specific need, such as transportation or tutoring services, could be provided these necessities.

“With the support from one of the FCJC Judges, a Court employee can utilize funds from the JJYF by contacting us. Judge Jones’ Fund is endowed solely by the generous contributions of the Juvenile Justice Fund staff and supporters, the Fulton County Juvenile Court staff, and by friends and loved ones of Judge Jones.”

If you’d like to give, we invite you to participate in this campaign, not only to honor the memory of our beloved Judge Jones, but to also continue his mission of mending the lives of children.  Each donation will change the life of a child for the better.

“Last year we provided:

  1. Tickets to the America I Am exhibit
  2. Marta Passes
  3. Clothing
  4. G.E.D.Testing Services
  5. I.D. Badges
  6. School supplies
  7. Registration fees for classes and extracurricular activities
  8. Mentor Training Supplies

You can make a donation online through Paypal,

or:

If you wish to pay by check, checks should be made payable to:

Juvenile Justice Fund
395 Pryor Street SW
Suite 2117
Atlanta, GA 30312

Memo line on check should note JJYF

Please feel free to contact me for any additional information about the JJYF.  Your support is truly necessary for the success of this service.

Thank You.

Tonnisha LaSalle
Tonnisha.LaSalle@fultoncountyga.gov
404-613-4916

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Judge Steven Teske Says We Should Grow up and Start Treating Kids as Kids

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
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Judge Sanford Jones

One of the first issues the Juvenile Justice Fund wanted to deal with from its inception was the idea of trying children as adults. In particular, the trying of children for prostitution, too young to even consent to sex, but trying them as adults nonetheless. Judge Sanford ‘Sammy’ Jones realized the injustice, the cruelty and the ineffectiveness of it and wanted a change. This in part led to the birth of JJF.

Today, Juvenile Court Judge Steven Teske of Clayton County, GA specializes and writes extensively on the subject of  juvenile detention reform. An avid contributor to The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Judge Teske weighs in on why it makes no sense at all to try kids as adults. Though his article does not address commercial sexual exploitation directly, it broadens the discussion of why children need more advocacy in court.
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Judge Teske Says We Should Grow up and Start Treating Kids as Kids
Written by Judge Steven Teske on Mar 24, 2011 on jjie.org

The First of a Three-Part Series by the Judge on the Subject of Trying Juveniles as Adults.

Judge Steven Teske

I got up this morning and started my routine toward the morning news-making coffee, feeding the cat and dog, and turning off all the porch lights-and upon pouring my first cup and sitting in what my wife calls my “man chair,” I turn the tube on, and there it was-on CNN-“fewer states are trying juveniles as adults.”

I already knew this as a matter of fact having served as Georgia’s representative on the Federal Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice — a committee that advises the president, Congress, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) on juvenile justice matters — and as chair of our State Advisory Group (Governor’s Office for Children and Families), which distributes federal juvenile justice grant funds to support effective programs for juveniles in Georgia. But watching CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin discuss the merits of this new trend, sent a rush of mixed emotions from excitement to thinking, “It’s about time,” and concluding with, “Will Georgia ever follow suit?” . . . read entire article

[The Court also looked at practices in other countries and sadly we were in the company of Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and China.]

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