School Justice Partnership Press Conference with Governor Cooper, Chief Justice Beasley and Judge Elizabeth Thornton Trosch.

Judge Trosch discusses the the success of Mecklenburg County’s School Justice Partnership. Governor Cooper and Justice Beasley announced the statewide implementation of this model to interrupt the school to prison pipeline. School Justice Partnerships are a court led initiative supported by all three branches of state government.

“ There are a lot of people who sit in our jail awaiting trial simply because they cannot pay the money bail — and not because they actually pose a public safety risk. We now have this tool that helps give judges really reliable information: Will you show up and will you harm the community?” ”
Judge Elizabeth Trosch

The John D and Catharine T, MacArthur Foundation granted Mecklenburg County a $2,000,000 grant after the tireless work of community leaders across the branches of government. The grant will pay for a new, automated system that will provide magistrates and judges a quick picture of a defendant’s risk and give judges better information to make informed decisions on pretrial release. Judge Trosch continues to work with community leaders on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system.

Judge Elizabeth Thornton Trosch Accepts NADCP Cultural Proficiency award on behalf of Mecklenburg Count Drug Courts at National Conference in Washington DC.

Mecklenburg County Drug Court has been a national leader in the reduction of recidivism for non-violent drug offenders. The program to coordinate treatment for non-violent drug offenders, youthful drug offenders and parents seeking reunification with children started 20 years ago and has been lauded by the District Attorney, law enforcement, and community leaders for saving money and saving the lives of individuals and preserving families. Mecklenburg County Drug Courts received national attention in 2015 for its work in creating culturally competent programs and was presented the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Cultural Proficiency award. Jeneanne Gonzalez, Kevin Tulley and Judge Trosch accepted the award on behalf of the Mecklenburg County Drug Court. Judge Trosch represented offenders in drug court for 6 years prior to becoming a district court judge. She has presided over the Youth Treatment Court since 2010.

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Judge Trosch is Nationally Renowned Expert in Trauma Informed Child Welfare and Juvenile Delinquency Practices and Lectures on this topic frequently

Judge Elizabeth Trosch is on the cutting edge of a relatively new treatment initiative that is having profound results for juveniles nationwide. Judge Trosch became informed of the practice of treating children who have had traumatic experiences with a Trauma informed therapy. This screening process is extremely cost effective and can lead to a more informed treatment practices in abuse and neglect cases as well as delinquency cases. Judge Trosch has lectured on this topic most recently as the keynote speaker at the September 2012 Raleigh, North Carolina Child Welfare Trauma Summit hosted by the NC Dept. of Health and Human Resources. Elizabeth served as a national expert consultant at the Providence, Rhode Island “Breakthrough Series Collaborative on Trauma Informed Welfare Practices” hosted by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network in June 2012. Judge Trosch will assuredly be lecturing at future seminars and would welcome the attendance and involvement of all those interested.

Judge Trosch leads stakeholders in developing a trauma-informed system of care

Mecklenburg County Family Court recently hosted a training on domestic violence entitled “It’s Not Always Happy at my House.” This training was free for invited guests and attorneys serving in the 26th District Juvenile Abuse, Neglect & Delinquency Courts.

Close to 60 people attended the Training and the training was planned through the combined efforts of the Family Court Office, the Mecklenburg County Bar, and the Model Court Advisory Committee. District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch made an introduction.

Presenters included Sandy Hammond, Program Supervisor for Children’s Domestic Violence Services at the Women’s Commission, a division of Mecklenburg County Community Support Services, and William Johnson.Mr. Johnson has been volunteering his time at NOVA (New options for violent actions) where he takes the time to educate perpetrators of domestic violence on the long term effects that their actions have on children. He is a man who lives by the motto, “To whom much is given, much is required” and this is why he is eager to give of his God given talents and experiences in hopes of healing, educating and creating a better tomorrow.

Judge Trosch has worked collaboratively with juvenile justice partners to provide training to social workers, CMS counselors, judges, and juvenile probation workers to provide trainings and implement initiatives to create a trauma informed system of care in Mecklenburg County.

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Judge Elizabeth Trosch Attends Mecklenburg Bar Centennial

Judge Elizabeth Trosch and her husband Eric Trosch, Judge Louis A. Trosch, Jr. and his wife Cathie Trosch joined 600 of their colleagues to celebrate the Mecklenburg County Bar Centennial at a black tie gala. The formal event was held on February 16, 2012 at the Westin Charlotte and featured former Solicitor General Walter E. Dellinger III, an entertaining performance by the Bar Revue featuring a comical take on the legal profession, dinner and drinks, followed by a music from GrooveTown and a ballroom full of dancing attorneys. The Trosches kept the band playing while they danced the night away. A great thanks to MCB staff for putting on such a wonderful event.

Judge Elizabeth Trosch Attends the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States and Celebrates at the Tarheel State Inaugural Ball

Judge Trosch was pleased to see Senator Kay Hagan at the Tarheel State Inaugural Ball in our nation’s capital after the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Elizabeth and her husband, Eric, spent the 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend with law school friends Lisa and Brian Ellsworth in DC, attending the inaugural events and touring local memorials. They were honored to be the guests of former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former Secretary of the Army Togo D. West, Jr. at the exclusive Metropolitan Club. The two couples enjoyed the sights of Washington and swing dancing to the marvelous bands at the Tarheel State Inaugural Ball.

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Judge Trosch Leads Mecklenburg County Juvenile Court in Inaugural Youth Empowerment Fair

In keeping with its mission, the Mecklenburg County Juvenile Court will sponsored its first annual Youth Empowerment Fair on Friday, October 28, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room 4510 of the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. The Fair, entitled I CAN… Empowering Youth to Explore the Possibilities gave youth an opportunity to network with business professionals from various sectors including Arts and Media, Business, Health and Wellness, Law and Government, and Technology. The Mecklenburg County Juvenile Court promotes the best interest of children and families and is committed to improving the lives of the families it serves.

The fair was hosted by District Court Judge Elizabeth T. Trosch and included special guests At-Large Commissioner Harold Cogdell, Jr., motivational speaker Janine Davis, and a host of diverse community and business leaders. The Fair also included Juvenile Justice stakeholders from Mecklenburg’s Youth Treatment Court, Youth and Family Services, the Mayor’s Youth Employment program, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Council for Children’s Rights. This exciting event motivated disadvantaged youth to dream big and explore new and creative career paths.

Judge Elizabeth Trosch Presides over McClintock Truancy Court

CMS and the Courts have partnered to improve attendance and performance of at risk children. Judge Trosch and other Mecklenburg County Judges volunteer to meet with children and families weekly at 7:30 a.m. to develop solutions to root causes for truancy and low performance. Watch this video to learn more about how this program is benefiting families in our community.

Judge Elizabeth Trosch presents to Chinese Court Officials during visit to Drug Treatment Courts

A group of Chinese court officials and law professors visited the Mecklenburg County Courthouse April 5-6, 2011. The main purpose of their visit is to observe various components of the Juvenile Justice System. Part of the focus will be on alternative sentencing and diversionary options. As such, they will learn more about how Drug Treatment Courts are structured and operate. The visitors were:

Li Changlin: Professor, Vice Dean, Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL), Executive Chief Prosecutor of Shapingba District People’s Procuratorate (part-time)
Sun Changyong: Professor, Vice President – SWUPL, Special Counseling Expert of the People’s Procuratorate of Chongqing
Xia Yang: Chief Prosecutor, Shapingba District People’s Procuratorate, Chongqing, Professor, SWUPL (Part-time)
Long Zongzhi: Special Counseling Expert to the Supreme People’s Court & Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China, Professor of Law at SWUPL & Sichuan University School of Law

The visit has been made possible through a partnership with the UNCC Criminal Justice Department, The Charlotte School of Law, and the Mecklenburg County Drug Treatment Courts.

Judge Trosch, past Chair of Larry King Clubhouse Board of Directors Receives Donation From North Carolina Bar Association Endowment Foundation

Larry King’s Clubhouse, the childcare facility located in the Mecklenburg County Courthouse (832 East 4th Street) was awarded a $5,000 grant from the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) Endowment Foundation in 2009 to provide items such as food supplies for nutritional snacks, art supplies such as construction paper, paint, crayons, glue, and play dough, laundry and cleaning supplies, single use food service supplies such as plastic cups, plastic utensils, Styrofoam bowls and plates, napkins, Ziploc baggies, batteries, armbands to provide a level of security, latex and vinyl gloves and changing table paper. The Endowment Committee presented a “big check” to board chairwoman, Elizabeth Trosch, at the beginning of the Larry King’s Clubhouse board meeting on August 13, 2009 at 12:30 PM at the Clubhouse.

Rebecca Henderson, a member of the NCBA Foundation Endowment Committee will be made the presentation.

Larry King’s Clubhouse opened in July 2001 as The Court Clubhouse to meet the needs of children and families appearing in court. With the opening of the new courthouse in January of 2007, the childcare center was named after and dedicated to Larry King, who died of lung cancer in 2005 at the age of 62. Mr. King was executive director of the independent non-profit Council for Children for 18 years. The reason for having a child care center in the courthouse is due to the fact that children can often be a distraction in the courtroom. In addition, children should not be exposed to graphic testimony and/or evidence in the courtroom. To that end, this free, drop-in child care center serves two purposes: Larry King’s Clubhouse is a safe, secure, and enriching place for children whose family members are conducting business at the courthouse or serving as jurors. It also serves as a point of access to link children and families to needed community services. While Larry King’s Clubhouse is a private, non-profit, the bulk of its funding for operations and facilities comes from Mecklenburg County for the facilities and operational costs. The center served 7,882 children during FY 2010, and has served over 917 children during July, 2010.

Judge Trosch reports to Mecklenburg County Commissioners About Domestic Violence in Our Community

https://mecklenburg.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=1946

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