History and Legacy 

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The Jasper Mediation Center was created on November 8, 2007 by the First Judicial District ADR Corporation.  The Corporation was formed by Directors: Judge Joe Bob Golden, Judge Jerome Owens, Judge Mark Allen, Judge Truman Dougharty, together with attorneys Blair Bisbey and Steve Hollis. 

 

The purpose of the Corporation was to administer an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program funded by fees collected by the District and County Clerks of Jasper and Newton County, Texas. State law requires the court clerks to collect fees from each civil case filed.  A portion of the fees can be used to fund an ADR program. If a county does not have an ADR program, then the funds are distributed statewide to other ADR facilities. 

 

Jasper County voted to create the ADR center, and has generously donated the use of an office in the County Courthouse Annex for this purpose.  Later, the directors were increased to add the county judges of Sabine and San Augustine Counties, and funds from these counties were added to the operating budget. 

 

For many years, the ADR center was managed by Co-Managers Charlie Nicholson, Ray Dubose and Texas Certified Mediator Rodney Norsworthy.  Volunteers received training in the skills of mediation and since 2007 it is estimated that over 650 legal cases and disputes such as divorces, child custody battles, and small claims have been mediated at the center.  These mediation efforts are supported by our judges as they promote peaceful resolution of disputes and lower the burden on the judge’s dockets.