Blackard Pledges To Bring Positive Change To Juvenile Court

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Barry Blackard, Candidate for Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge in the Juvenile division, has announced his “5 Point Plan” that promises to bring sweeping and positive changes to the Juvenile Court. As an experienced criminal attorney, Blackard understands both the causes and solutions needed to close the revolving door of young offenders under the current Juvenile court system. “An effective Juvenile Court should divert troubled youth from a life long journey through the criminal justice system, while assisting them in becoming contributing members of society. My plan will accomplish that,” Blackard said.

ü Juvenile Mentoring Program

ü Juvenile Court Community Task Force

ü Juvenile Intensive Probation

ü Juvenile Online Tracking System

ü Mental Health Court

Part One: Create a Juvenile Mentoring Program. The single most pressing issue in Juvenile Court is a total lack of parental involvement. Parental accountability is so important, but you simply cannot force a parent to care about their child. A comprehensive Mentoring Program that emphasizes respect and personal responsibility will fill this missing void in their lives. Without a positive adult role model, young people coming before the Juvenile Court will be destined for a life of crime and government dependency.

Part Two: Form a Juvenile Court Community Task Force. The task force will be comprised of local leaders from our education, legal, health care, law enforcement, and business communities. This collaboration will provide increased access to well-performing programs while improving the quality of juvenile justice.

Part Three: Implement Juvenile Intensive Probation or “JIP.” This specialized form of probation will divert non-violent second time juvenile offenders from out-of-home placement or overcrowded and costly institutions into a highly structured, closely supervised program. “JIP” will emphasize the importance of work, education, and personal responsibility.

Part Four: Create a Juvenile Online Tracking System or “JOLTS” to utilize widely available information technology. Similar systems are being used around the country and are very cost effective. The system acts as a centralized computer database of juvenile offenders to increase access to all agencies. “JOLTS” will remove the “wall” that currently isolates our courts, local law enforcement, probation officers, and DCS from juvenile offender related information.

Finally, Part Five: Create a Mental Health Court that focuses on young offenders fraught with mental health related challenges. The Juvenile Court will partner with local health care providers to offer a cost effective way of both evaluating and treating our youth that have these issues.

This election presents a clear choice and an important one: Will Vanderburgh County take a stand and make a positive change in the struggling Juvenile Court? Or will it continue to allow young offenders to be shuffled through the “system?” Our community needs a change in leadership in the Juvenile Court, as Judge, Barry Blackard will deliver it.

33 COMMENTS

  1. Another guy with a five point plan. Blackard or someone for him put a sign in a lot that is next to the Expressway. The lot already had a Niemeier sign in it. The owner of the lot let Blackard know that his sign was to be removed. Blackard complied with removing his sign, but strangely enough, the Niemeier sign was knocked down and the metal prongs broken off so that it couldn’t be set back up. The lot is full of political signs, and the Niemeier sign was the only one that suffered this fate. It happened the same day the Blackard sign disappeared. It seems like too much to be a coincidence. For someone who has such a media advantage to be so nasty over one sign is unattractive to say the least.

    • Sadly, political campaigns are known to have overly-zealous supporters who stealthily remove promotional signs of their opponents. Yes, it is unattractive, much like the 50+ “Blackard for Judge” signs that coincidentally suffered the same fate over the last month.

      • I agree. That is happening to all candidates, some more than others yes, but I truly believe no candidate in their right mind would allow or encourage any supporter to disturb another candidates sign. In fact, I would wager that if a candidate found out one of their backers had done such a thing that they would promplty tell them their volunteer efforts are no longer needed. It is not worth the PR disaster such people could cause a campaign.

  2. Robocall from this guy helped me decide not to vote for this canidate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • I feel sorry for you. Personally, I vote for candidates based on issues and trust, not a phone call.

      • If you got a robocall from him you need to report that to the state board of elections. Robocalls are illegal in Indiana.

  3. FYI I saw a Niemeiers sign replaced “at an attorneys office” and now has a Blackard sign!

  4. Word from realible sources is the attorney’s office name is DANKS and DANKS! Wow-looks like Niemeier’s wife pi– someone else off!

  5. Look who is supporting Blackard on city council and what attorney want to be their legal council. That might be the cause for the change in who the attorney is supporting. Just a guess.

  6. Who in there right mind would vote for a judge who makes threats to his apponant. That really shows Niemeier’s integrity! Great move there Judge of the year!

    • If you opponent is violating the ethical rules, he deserves whatever he gets. I understand that more than one complaint has been filed against Blackard with the disciplinary commission.

    • Can you back up your claim that Judge Neimeier made threats to Mr. Blackard?

  7. A Blackard sign magically appeared in my son’s yard without anyone asking for permission. It didn’t last long but that might give some insight into what type of campaign he is running. Brett is a great guy and is an outstanding judge. It is time that the voters in this county let the elitist with money know that we will not let a candidate for public office use lies and money to win. Brett’s record speaks for itself, Brett is one of the few candidates in our local election that can actually run on his record, along with Rick Davis. Two candidates who can’t run on their records are Annie Groves and Z Tuley if that was the case these 2 wouldn’t vote for themselves.

    • Rick Davis is running as the anti-consolidation poster child more than on his record. Which is an excellent political strategy. He has offended so many people its best to hitch your wagon to a horse that everyone wants to support than run under your own battered and bruised banner.

      • What is your record and you do have one Alex even though you keep changing your blog name your posts are the same. Davis has the integrity and conviction to stand up for what he believes in can you make the same statement? Hopefully Karma will be served in this election and the Republicrats will lose and the true Democrats running will win. We will know Tuesday if justice is served.

        • Misty, its nice to see you posting on your off hours and not during your working time at the Civic Center, at least you are a faithful county employee unlike some people. I have always stood for what I believe in. You people are what? 1 for 5 now? Soon to be 1 for 6

          • Oh and your wrong as ALWAYS on who I am :)Keep trying, one day you will figure it out and be pretty shocked.

    • This post is a CLEAR example of how the Davisians have and continue to rupture the local Democrat Party. And this is what Tony Long, John Gregg, Dan Parker, and others at the district and state level just couldn’t get thru their thick skulls last year. Oh well …

  8. Your opponent needs to look at the ethical code. He has many ethical issues, with regards to his personal involvement with cases involving children.

  9. I question Blackard’s smarts in waiting until a Friday 4 days before an election to release any substantive details regarding his race. That should have been done months ago if he wanted to gain from it.

  10. Regardless of wins, I love a good political fight. I hate seeing a no opponent race. Remember that’s how Weinzapel slipped in. All political positions belong to the people and some politicians forget that. Luger was the latest, he thought that senate seat belonged to him, we showed him. Regardless of who wins that seat, its all the same.

    • Well, golly thanks for getting rid of Lugar. Now we Dems will rebalance Indiana’s contingency in the Senate.

  11. I never make statements that I can not back up….POV I would have to agree with you. The more informed and educated voters can be the more questions they ask. Voters should always ask question, listen and do their own research.

Comments are closed.