Elkins meeting to improve the family courts

The Elkins Family Law Task Force was created by the California courts in order to hold meetings to recommend improvements to the family courts. Strangely, it does not even have the schedule of future meeting on its web site. I asked about the next meeting, and I just got this reply:

The next Elkins Family Law Task Force meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at the Administrative Office of the Courts, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Third Floor, San Francisco, California. The public comment portion of the meeting will be from 4:45 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/jc/tflists/elkins-meetings.htm

You may find additional information on how to contact or address the Elkins Family Law Task Force at: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/jc/tflists/elkins-contact.htm

The Elkins Family Law Task Force welcomes your comments by e-mail, fax, or regular mail. Your correspondence will be made available to the task force at subsequent meetings, which are open to the public; therefore, your correspondence to the task force will not be considered confidential in nature. The task force will give the same consideration to all correspondence. Please be advised that the task force will not respond directly to correspondence from the general public.

If you are interested in providing public comment, please consider the following methods:

1) e-mail or send your written suggestion or comments at any time to elkinstaskforce@jud.ca.gov or the address below; OR

2) e-mail or send your written comments on recommendations posted under Invitation to Comment related to the Elkins Family Law Task Force at: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/invitationstocomment/ that will be circulated for public comment in the latter part of 2009, OR

3) comment in person at public hearings to be scheduled in the latter part of 2009 to provide feedback on proposed recommendations, OR

4) comment in person at task force meetings as time permits, where members of the public may present their suggestions to the Task Force. The time for your testimony will be 3 minutes or less, depending on the number of individuals appearing. Please feel free to e-mail, send, or fax your written statement in advance. You may not discuss or request comment on specific cases or any individual.

The next Elkins Family Law Task Force meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at the Administrative Office of the Courts, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Third Floor, San Francisco, California. The public comment portion of the meeting will be from 4:45 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

If you would like to address the task force during this time, please submit your request to elkinstaskforce@jud.ca.gov or the address or fax below at least 4 business days before the meeting. Please include the following information in your request:

Presenter's name (Your name)
Title/position (i.e., Party, Attorney, Mediator, etc.)
Contact information (i.e., address, telephone number, e-mail, etc.),
County of residence;
Organization or affiliation, if any (i.e., Are speaking for yourself and/or an organization?)
Brief description of presentation (i.e., What are you suggesting?)
If you have a pending family law case in any California court, please specify which court(s).
The Task Force cannot hear comments on specific cases so please do not include your court case number, court department, names of any parties, attorneys, court staff, judicial officers, mediators, or any individual names or references to the specifics in your case.

You may address the task force for up to 3 minutes, as time permits. Please feel free to e-mail, send, or fax your proposed comments and suggestions in advance to:

Elkins Family Law Task Force
Administrative Office of the Courts 455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102
elkinstaskforce@jud.ca.gov
Fax: 415-865-7217

CFCC
Staff for the Center for Families, Children & the Courts
Judicial Council of California - Administrative Office of the Courts
www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/cfcc/