The City of Phoenix officially opened its Community Court this month. Community Court will operate two days a week with two presiding judges. The specialty court will begin hearing cases this week, starting on the 9th.

“This program has been a long time in the making for us in Phoenix. My office has been researching homeless problems and solutions throughout the past two years and came across the successful Community Court model already operational in Mesa,” said Councilwoman Ann O’Brien.

The Community Court will operate as a pre-adjudication court system offering homeless individuals who have committed crimes the opportunity to receive services rather than going through the traditional judicial system. Individuals participating in Community Court will be given the options to choose for themselves – services or consequences. Once an individual has been arrested and arraigned, a city prosecutor will determine if the individual is qualified to participate in Community Court based on the level of their crime and housing status. No one charged with aggravated assaults or domestic assault will be qualified to participate in the Community Court program.

Once an individual agrees to participate, a navigator will be assigned to them to create an individualized plan that will help to elevate them out of homelessness. If an individual chooses not to follow their personalized plan or to leave Community Court at any point in time, they will be returned to the traditional judiciary court system to proceed with their case. When an individual completes their plan and graduates from Community Court, their charges could be dropped, lowered, or considered time served.

“Community Court is a proven model in other municipalities that show when homeless individuals commit low-level crimes, as a result of their conditions, there can be positive outcomes,” Councilwoman O’Brien continued. “We have a responsibility to all our citizens to prosecute crime and to keep our streets clean and neighborhoods safe. However, we also have a responsibility to provide the services needed to ensure people who want to can lift themselves out of homelessness.”

Community Courts was one of many solutions published in Councilwoman O’Brien’s Proposed Homeless Solutions plan released six months ago.

Media Contact: Derrik Rochwalik, Councilwoman O'Brien's Chief of Staff, derrik.rochwalik@phoenix.gov, call or text (480)202-7347

District 1 Councilwoman Ann O'Brien

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