The mission of the Task Force is to enable Judicial Branch stakeholders to understand the impact on children of exposure to ACEs (adverse childhood experiences; adverse community environments); and to develop strategies for addressing adverse consequences within our court system.

To accomplish this mission, the Task Force will:

• Provide judges and court administrators with practical education on the effects of ACEs;
• Equip juvenile court officials to recognize young offenders and victims impacted by ACEs;
• Identify existing programs and design new programs that intervene in the lives of young ACEs offenders and victims affected by ACEs to put them on a path away from the courthouse and into a successful adult life; and
• Provide a platform from which court officials can offer feedback to educators regarding their experiences, with the hope of creating further avenues for research on this important topic.

Read about the Bolch Judicial Institute's Trauma-Informed Court program at Duke University School of Law. The program will help educate court officials on ACEs and related issues.

The Task Force members are appointed by Chief Justice Paul Newby and are representative of all stakeholder groups within our court system: judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, clerks, law enforcement, private attorneys, and child-representatives, as well as academic leaders. This talented, experienced, and diverse group is supplemented with an advisory group made up of subject matter experts as well as representatives from law schools, universities, the Executive Branch, and private foundations.

Quarterly meetings to be held around the state:

May 5, 2023,
8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
N.C. Judicial Center, Raleigh

February 3, 2023, Winston-Salem - Meeting Minutes

October 28, 2022, Durham - Meeting Minutes

September 14, 2022, Virtual - Meeting Minutes

July 27-28, 2022, Asheville - Meeting Minutes

April 29, 2022, Charlotte - Meeting Minutes

January 21, 2022 - POSTPONED

November 4-5, 2021, Wilmington - Meeting Minutes

August 20, 2021, Raleigh - Meeting Minutes

Judicial Branch to Launch Safe Babies Court Team Pilot Programs - May 2023

All Things Judicial Focuses on the Chief Justice's Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts and a Faith-Based Strategic Partner - July 2022

Bolch Judicial Institute and Chief Justice Newby’s Task Force are collaborating on a grant to examine the effects of trauma-informed court practices - Duke Bass Connections April 2022

Durham looks to Wilmington for potential solution to rise in gun crime - ABC11, April 20, 2022

Creating ACEs-Informed Courts in North Carolina - N.C. Medical Journal, January 2022

Chief Justice's Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts Holds Second In-Person Meeting - November 2021

Salisbury resident Nalini Joseph named to N.C. Chief Justice's new task force - Salisbury Post, September 26, 2021

County taskforce, chaired by DA, hopes to stop crime before it ever happens - WECT, September 22, 2021

Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts Holds First Meeting - August 20, 2021

New All Things Judicial Podcast Episode Focuses on ACEs-Informed Courts - June 23, 2021

Chief Justice Newby Announces Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts - May 18, 2021

• Announcement video

• September 23, 2021 - District Attorney Ben David presenting at the 2021 South Carolina Solicitors Annual Conference
• October 20, 2021 -
  • District Attorney Ben David presenting at the District Attorney’s Fall Association Meeting
  • Latoya Powell presenting at the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) Annual Meeting
  • Chief District Court Judge Julius Corpening presenting on ACE’s Informed Courts at the District Court Judges Fall Educational Conference
  • Dr. Kelly Graves presenting at the 2021 District Court Judges Fall Educational Conference
• October 22, 2021 – Jodie A. Lanning presenting to the Qualified Training Professionals (QTP) program with OSHR
• October 23, 2021 - Judge Mario Perez presenting at the Edgecombe County Biennial Community Forum
• October 30, 2021 - Mike Silver presenting at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) Adverse Childhood Experiences Southeastern Summit 2021
• March 4, 2022 - Dr. Kelly Graves presenting at the National Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy and Practice on building the trauma movement
• April 27, 2022 – Mike Silver presenting at the 2022 North Carolina Reentry Conference hosted by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety
• May 2, 2022 - Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch presenting on the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Child Development at the 2022 N.C. Family Court Educational Conference
• May 3, 2022 - Chief District Court Judge J.H. Corpening presenting on Trauma Informed Court Practices at the 2022 N.C. Family Court Educational Conference
• May 6, 2022 -
  • District Attorney Seth Banks presenting on Trauma Informed Courts at the 2022 N.C. Association for Court Management Spring Educational Conference
  • LaToya Powell presenting at the NCBA Paralegal Division's Annual Meeting
• August, 3, 2022 - District Attorney Spencer Merriweather and Mike Silver presented on Trauma-Informed Courts to the RISE Conference hosted by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction
• August 25, 2022 - Chief District Court Judge Julius Corpening presented on Trauma-Informed Practices and Courts at the North Carolina Child Support Council Conference
• September 15, 2022 - Chief District Court Judge Julius Corpening presented on Trauma-Informed Practices and Courts at the North Carolina Legal Services Conference
• September 29, 2022 - Chief District Court Judge Corpening, Vernisha Crawford, Emma Paul, and Mike Silver screened the movie, “Resilience” and held a panel discussion at the North Carolina Magistrate’s Association Fall Conference
• November 15, 2022 - Chief District Court Judge Corpening presented at the Court Managers Conference on Trauma-Informed Court Practices
• February 21, 2023 - Chief District Court Judge Corpening will present at the New Hanover County Bar Association meeting on trauma-informed court practices
• May 23, 2023 - Chief District Court Judge Corpening will present to the ERICSA national child support conference on trauma-informed court practices
• June 1, 2023 - Chief District Court Judge Corpening will present to the NCBA Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights Section on trauma-informed practices
• June 19, 2023 - District Attorney Ben David and Dr. Kelly Graves presenting at the 2023 New Judges Conference
• September 13-14, 2023 - 5th Annual N.C. Family Justice Center and Collaborative Communities Conference - District Attorney Ben David will be a keynote presenter on Day 1 of the conference and will also lead a breakout session with Judge Corpening, and ACEs Task Force members Mr. Michael Silver, and Dr. Kelly Graves.

• ACEs-Informed Courts Bench Card
• 2021 Virtual Fatherhood Engagement Series
• Building a Resilient and Trauma-Informed North Carolina - NCIOM
• Healthy Communities NC
• Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Online Training for Faith, Spiritual, and Religious Communities
  • This free online training is designed to help faith, spiritual, and religious leaders, staff members, volunteers, and others who serve children and families understand their role in preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
  • More resources and information about this training from the CDC’s Injury Prevention & Control: Division of Violence Prevention are available online.
• Resilient NC Report - full report and executive summary.
• Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) Bench Card
  • Introduction to the YASI Bench Card video - created by the Master Trainers of the Department of Juvenile Justice, Mike Silver, Judge Corpening, William Lassiter, and the Chief Justice’s Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts
     

• WEBINAR: The Power of the Success Sequence for Young Adults
  April 12, 2023, 4-5 p.m.
  • Objectives: Participants will be able to:
    1. Recognize how education, work, and marriage put young adults on a path to success.
    2. Understand the link between marrying before having children and economic success in life.
    3. Describe how the Success Sequence works despite structural barriers.
  • Presenters: Brad Wilcox, Ph.D., University of Virginia, and Wendy R. Wang, Institute for Family Studies

ACEsTaskForce@nccourts.org