NCJ Number
68335
Date Published
1978
Length
97 pages
Annotation
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS INTERVIEWED CLERKS, ANALYZED WORKFLOWS, AND DEVELOPED A WORKLOAD FORMULA TO ASSESS THE ADEQUACY OF PRESENT STAFFING AND PREDICT NEW STAFFING NEEDS IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIF.
Abstract
BECAUSE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION 13 WOULD ALTER STAFFING PATTERNS FOR THE COURT SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, THIS STUDY WAS LIMITED TO THE CRIMINAL AND CORPUS (AUTOMATED RECORDS PROCESSING) SECTIONS OF THE OFFICES OF THE COUNTY CLERK AND THE SUPERIOR COURT ADMINISTRATOR IN OAKLAND AND HAYWARD, CALIF. THE BULK OF THE REPORT IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF CLERICAL ACTIVITIES: CALENDAR PREPARATION, MAINTENANCE AND UPDATING; PROCESSING OF NEW CASES, WARRANTS, AND PETITIONS TO REVOKE; CORPUS INPUT; POSTING ACTIONS TO REGISTERS; PREPARATION OF MINUTE/COMMITMENT ORDERS; REPORT PREPARATION; AND GENERAL CLERICAL ACTIVITIES. THE METHODS USED TO DEVELOP WORKLOAD UNITS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. AS A BYPRODUCT OF THE REPORT, A NUMBER OF PROCEDURAL CHANGES WERE UNCOVERED WHICH COULD ELIMINATE UNNEEDED CLERICAL TASKS AND REPETITION OF TASKS. THESE INCLUDE THE ELIMINATION OF THE BAIL BOND FILE SINCE FEW BONDING COMPANIES BECOME FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGREEMENTS BETWEEN MUNICIPAL AND SUPERIOR COURT ON FILE ORDERS TO SAVE THE MANUAL REORDERING OF FILES, AND THE GREATER USE OF THE CORPUS SYSTEM. APPENDIXES DESCRIBE PROCEDURES UNDER BOTH THE PRESENT MANUAL SYSTEM AND UNDER THE AUTOMATED CALENDAR SYSTEM. THE REPORTING FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS, DETAILS OF CORPUS OPERATION, AND TABULAR DATA ARE ALSO INCLUDED.