Use of ICJ Records Rather than Testimony by Out-of-State Personnel

This guide from the Interstate Commission for Juveniles provides guidance for court and legal personnel on introducing and admitting evidence in ICJ-related proceedings.  

From the Overview of the Issue: 

“At the request of the Commission’s Executive Committee, the following legal analysis has been prepared to serve as a resource documenting the legal implications of the significantly increased number of formal and informal requests for ICJ staff, Juvenile Probations Officers, and Supervisors to testify at hearings in other states regarding ICJ cases. The increase in such requests may stem from the increasing likelihood that remote legal proceedings will become permanent fixtures in some jurisdictions. 

Given this change in court procedures within the American legal system, it is important for ICJ personnel, courts, and other legal personnel to understand the nature of interstate compacts and the manner in which ICJ-related business records are maintained in UNITY. UNITY is the data management system developed and authorized by the Commission to provide for the transfer and tracking of transfers of supervision and returns of such juveniles, including adjudicated juveniles, runaways, and absconders. If appropriate groundwork is laid, records from the UNITY system can often be admitted into evidence in lieu of testimony from out-of-state-personnel. As with all legal procedures, the information contained in this paper should be carefully reviewed with the legal advisor for your juvenile justice agency.”