Center for Protection of Children Board of Advisors
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Hon. Ginger Lerner-Wren
Judge Lerner-Wren was elected to the County Court in 1996. She was assigned to the County Criminal bench in January of 1997. Within months, in what has been recognized as a historic Administrative Order, Judge Lerner-Wren was appointed by Chief Judge Dale Ross to administrate and preside over the Nation's first Mental Health Court. With the application of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, The Mental Health Court has been hailed as "Best Practice" and became the model for recent Federal Legislation passed by Congress in 2000 in the comprehensive Mental Health Act to promote Mental Health Courts nationwide. Appointed by Chief Circuit Judge Dale Ross in 1993 to serve as The Public Guardian of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Ginger was responsible for directing and administrating all operations of the Office of Public Guardian and routinely assisted and consulted with Broward County Adult Protective Services regarding abuse and neglect matters. As a result of all her innovative work, Judge Lerner-Wren was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health in 2002. She was then chosen to be Chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee for the commission. Judge Lerner-Wren has received numerous national and international presentations, articles and honors.