Homeless Court Continues to Help Those in Need
The Homeless Court has entered its 15th year of serving individuals experiencing homelessness in San Joaquin County. This specialty court helps participants resolve minor traffic offenses, bench warrants, and failures to appear without the threat of incarceration or fines. The goal is to help individuals become more employable and potentially qualify for public assistance. The services provided through the Court are a collaborative effort among the Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin; the San Joaquin County District Attorney; the San Joaquin County Bar Association; Stockton Shelter for the Homeless; St. Mary’s Dining Room; and the Veterans Administration. Since its inception in January 2006, approximately 5,000 individuals have been assisted.
Most of the offenses handled in Homeless Court fall into the following categories: traffic offenses; bench warrants and failures to appear; and quality-of-life offenses such as fare evasion, illegal camping, possession of a shopping cart, possession of an open container, and loitering or park curfew violations. To qualify for participation in Homeless Court, individuals must be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (for example, couch-surfing), or living in residential treatment programs.
Every individual who participates in Homeless Court is provided the services of an attorney. Participants serve their sentences through volunteer work (community service at Stockton Shelter for the Homeless, St. Mary’s Dining Room, or the Emergency Food Bank) and participation in programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or mental health services, as arranged by shelter caseworkers. Others receive credit for time spent in residential treatment programs.
The Homeless Court has remained steadfast in its mission to serve this vulnerable population despite the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has disproportionately affected individuals experiencing homelessness and their ability to access services. In recent months, the Court has seen a reduction in participants. Judge Barbara A. Kronlund, who established the Court in 2006, reflected on the current environment, stating, “The fact that there has been such a significant increase in the unsheltered homeless population has likely contributed to the Homeless Court’s declining numbers, because people tend not to prioritize coming to court when they are focused on staying fed and sheltered, especially during inclement weather. However, we want to continue to let individuals experiencing homelessness and the agencies that serve them know that Homeless Court is available. Our work is more important now than ever.”
A makeshift courtroom is located on site at St. Mary’s Interfaith Community Services in Stockton. However, due to pandemic-related limitations on in-person contact, Homeless Court is currently being conducted remotely using the Court’s conference call line. This remote process has been in place for several months and has proven successful and efficient. For more information about the program, please contact Mercedes Moreno at MMoreno@stmarysdiningroom.org or (209) 467-0703.