Policy Statement  Medical deferments at the Trial Court Security Department Court Officer Academy

Date:	02/18/2016
Referenced Sources:	Medical Deferments at the Security Department Court Officer Academy

Policy

The policy concerning Medical Deferments at the Security Department Court Officer Academy dated February 11, 2015, is revised to account for the addition of the Court Officer Physical Abilities Test (PAT) as a screening tool for court officer selection and to clarify candidate requirements as well as the Director of Security’s discretion in this matter. This Medical Deferment Policy dated February 18, 2016 supersedes and replaces any previous version of this policy.  

Court Officer candidates attending the Court Officer Academy training program may be granted a deferment to a future academy by the Director of Security in the event the newly appointed officer is incapable of participating in or completing all aspects of the training program due to a medical condition.  In the event a court officer voluntarily withdraws or is dismissed from the academy and his/her appointment is rescinded by the Trial Court due to the inability to complete training requirements for medical reasons, the officer may apply to the Director of Security for deferment and reinstatement in a future Court Officer Academy.  Court Officer candidates will be awarded no more than one (1) medical deferment.

Upon dismissal or withdrawal of an officer from the academy, the Academy Commandant will file a memorandum with the Director of Security within 72 hours reporting the event. A medical deferment may be approved by the Director of Security in cases where the dismissal or voluntary withdrawal is due solely to a medical condition that is supported by documentation from a licensed medical provider.

To qualify for a medical deferment, the individual must provide the office of the Director of Security medical documentation from a licensed medical provider. Medical documentation must first document the medical condition preventing the officer from participating in the training program.  To be considered for reinstatement subsequent medical documentation must indicate that the individual is capable of performing the functions of the court officer position to include all facets of the training curriculum.  This documentation must reference that fact that the medical provider has reviewed the job description and academy curriculum to include the health and wellness guide that governs the physical training regimen.  These materials are available on the Trial Court Security Department website. Medical documentation indicating the individual is physically capable of completing all aspects of the academy training program must be received by the Trial Court Security Department prior to any offer of reinstatement.  Approval of a reinstatement is contingent on the requester’s successful completion of the Court Officer Physical Abilities Test (PAT) prior to assignment to an academy.  Like all Court Office Recruits, individuals assigned to an academy class under this policy must participate in and successfully complete all aspects of academy training in its entirety for graduation and retention as a court officer.

Reinstatement by medical deferment is at the discretion of the Director and may be denied for any reason. Applicants are advised that consideration for reinstatement may be delayed due to the unavailability of a scheduled PAT event.  Where reinstatement has been approved by the Director, rehire and placement in an academy may be subject to delays and limitations by such factors as manpower hiring limits, the availability and location of existing vacancies, administrative processing requirements , and academy class scheduling and size constraints.