Long-time court commissioner leaves after 11 years of
service
Jean Flanagan is not retiring.
Yes, Flanagan is leaving her job as a court commissioner for the
San Benito County Superior Court, a position she has held since
1997.
But retirement is not the word Flanagan chooses to use regarding
her upcoming
”
lifestyle change.
”
Long-time court commissioner leaves after 11 years of service
Jean Flanagan is not retiring.
Yes, Flanagan is leaving her job as a court commissioner for the San Benito County Superior Court, a position she has held since 1997.
But retirement is not the word Flanagan chooses to use regarding her upcoming “lifestyle change.”
“When I think of what will be happening next in my life, retirement is not the word that springs to mind at all,” Flanagan said. “I don’t really think of myself as ‘retired.’ I plan to stay active doing many, many things.”
Flanagan was appointed to her job in October 1997 by then presiding Judge Thomas Breen. Since then, Flanagan presided largely over the county’s child support cases, dealing with parents and children during a very traumatic moment of their lives, said Gil Solorio, the court’s executive officer.
“The cases Jean dealt with were, at times, very complicated, both administratively and emotionally,” Solorio said. “These were cases were people were being told they were going to have to become involved in the judicial process, and that thought can be daunting. And yet Jean always dealt with them in a very effective but very compassionate way. Jean consistently resolved case issues in a manner that fostered mutual respect between the parents and the judicial process.”
“There have been a lot of changes in how child support cases are handled in the past 11 years,” Flanagan said. “The image that so many of us hold of deadbeat dads or whomever is not very accurate anymore. Today, it’s more about finding the best solution for both parents and not setting some high pie-in-the-sky amount that can’t be lived with.”
Flanagan said she will miss the interaction she had with her clients as well as her co-workers.
“I am going to miss a lot of things – the people and the camaraderie we share at the courthouse,” she said. “I will also miss making the contributions that one makes handling the cases I did. These people who come in are often in trouble; they don’t have enough income to support the split family. I help them fashion something that works for both the mother and father.”
During her time as commissioner, Flanagan also spearheaded the creation of a DVD on the consequences of teen pregnancy, titled “It Takes Two.” The DVD was so well received, Solorio said, the courts from other counties have used it as well.
“Because of some of the cases Jean dealt with, she saw there was a need for a program which talked to teens about teen pregnancy,” he said. “It was a wonderful DVD and she has received strong kudos for her work.”
Flanagan’s plans for her “retirement” include helping family with any legal issues – two of her sons are small business areas in other counties and often need legal advice – as well as work on developing projects which could be funded through the court system.
“Our courts are a service organization for the community, and we need to consider how our performances impact the community,” she said. “One idea I have is to address the needs of the elderly who have to come to court for whatever reason, as a victim, a defendant or a juror, because right now we don’t really have anything in place to help us understand their needs.”
According to a press release from the county’s Superior Court, Presiding Judge Harry Tobias and Judge Steve Sanders both “applaud Flanagan’s longstanding service to the court and community and wish her well in her post-retirement activities.”
As soon as Flanagan announced her intention to retire several months ago, the county began a statewide recruiting process for her replacement. Because the court commissioner position is considered a subordinate judicial officer, a position which ranks just below the judge, Solorio said they wanted as large a pool of candidates as possible.
“We went through the normal process of recruitment by publishing news of the vacancy throughout the region as well as areas across the state in an effort to attract as many qualified applicants as possible,” Solorio said. “We received in excess of 20 applications, far more than we originally expected.”
Christine Copeland will assume Flanagan’s duties beginning Aug. 1. Copeland formerly worked for the Santa Clara County Superior Court as a staff attorney for their family law facilitator/self-help center. Copeland is a graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law and the University of California at Santa Cruz.
