Judicial circuit announces juror counseling program
A person serving jury duty can be exposed to some terrible things.
Gruesome autopsy photos. Graphic testimony about sex crimes. The pressure of deciding if someone lives or dies.
In recognition of that, the 19th Judicial Circuit has established a jury stress program, through which jurors can receive counseling after their service.
Chief Judge James Booras said the program is voluntary and will be provided at no cost to the juror.
A juror suffering a severe emotional reaction after a trial need only contact the Jury Commission and will be given an appointment with a counselor.
Counselors from the circuit's psychological services division have received special training in critical incident debriefing and will provide a one-time debriefing session.
If the counselor determines that one session is not sufficient to resolve the stress reaction, the juror will receive referral information for continued counseling in the community.
"We appreciate the sacrifices people make in serving as jurors," Booras said. "If they are troubled in any way by the experience, we want them to know we are available to help."
Counselor funded: The Illinois Criminal Justice Authority has again agreed to provide the bulk of the funding for a victim advocate at the county's Children's Advocacy Center.
State's Attorney Michael Waller said the authority has delivered the grant since 1989 to help pay for a counselor for child abuse victims and their non-offending family members.
Waller said the authority will pay $56,034 for the counselor while the remaining $21,791 needed for the position will come from his budget.
When the center opened in 1989, 68 child abuse victims and their family members were assisted, Waller said, and that number grew to 493 last year.
Scholarship ride: A memorial ride to fund scholarships at Evangel University in Missouri in the name of Army Capt. Shane M. Mahaffee will be held at J.D. Bootleggers Bar in Antioch on June 22.
Mahaffee was a Waukegan lawyer and Army Reservist who was recalled to active duty and died May 15, 2006 from wounds he suffered from a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Evangel University is a 2,000-student school in Springfield, Mo., where Mahaffee did his undergraduate work while a member of the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps.
Event organizer Marvin Knuth said scholarships in Mahaffee's name are open to any student majoring in pre-law or any social studies major enrolled in ROTC.
The motorcycle ride will also feature a pig roast, raffle prizes, children's activities and live music.
Registration begins at 10 a.m. and there is a $20 per person registration fee.
For those who cannot make the ride but would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, donations can be sent to the Shane Martin Mahaffee Memorial Scholarship, Evangel University, Attn: Brian Sanders, Social Studies, 1111 N. Glenstone, Springfield, MO 65802.