S.L. court metes out justice to homeless

Dressed in jeans and a casual shirt, Judge John Baxter sits across a nondescript table from a homeless man who has arrest warrants out for trespassing and drinking alcohol in a public park.

Baxter's options are different from those of most judges. Slapping a homeless person with a fine is akin to getting blood from a turnip, and throwing him in jail clogs up the system with little result.

Yet, after the man is ordered to do 30 hours' community service, the gruff-looking guy hands over a verified letter of completion, having done grounds cleaning at the Road Home shelter.

Baxter thanks the man for his effort. "I appreciate it, thank you very much," the man replies, adding he was glad to do it to set things right. Case closed.

For the past year, the homeless court has been an experiment in Salt Lake City Justice Court that police and court officials have lauded as an innovative approach to doling out justice to those on the streets.

There's no hammer and gavel, long black robe or other trappings of a regular court. In fact, Baxter's court is unlike any other in Utah. It is a movement being sparked in other states, modeled after a successful program being run in San Diego.

But make no mistake, this is still a court, and Baxter insists on being called "your honor" and his staff treated with respect.

Still, for a population that is notorious for racking up arrest warrants and flaking out on court dates, the more casual nature of the court has homeless people walking in of their own volition.

"They have difficulty getting into court," Baxter said. "Some have four, five arrest warrants at a time, some as high as 35." Many times, Baxter said, they don't get a chance to shower and some are embarrassed by their appearance.

It's a vicious cycle that many homeless people get caught in. They might get picked up for public intoxication, cited and issued a court date. For some it's mental illness or drug addiction, but for many reasons, they don't show up for court and an arrest warrant is issued.

Baxter said police then pick them up on the warrant, they're booked into jail and released soon after due to crowding.

In a report to the Administrative Office of the Courts, Baxter estimated it costs $465 each time a homeless person is picked up on a warrant and booked into jail. He compared that to the cost of homeless court, which he estimates costs $25.25 to take care of the same warrant.