NCJ Number
137340
Date Published
1991
Length
152 pages
Annotation
For the past 2 years, general jurisdiction trial courts in three jurisdictions (Providence, Rhode Island; Santa Clara County, California; and New Orleans, Louisiana) have experimented with alternative techniques for addressing the management problems posed by the increase in drug cases.
Abstract
The Bureau of Justice Assistance project has operated under the title, Comprehensive Adjudication of Drug Arrestees (CADA). The project is based on two premises: (1) avoiding a backlog due to the dramatic increase in drug cases rests as much with management techniques as it does with additional resources; and (2) any solution must come from a broad system perspective rather than from a narrow focus on the courts alone. The basic objective of the CADA program is to expedite the processing of drug cases from final arrest to final disposition without jeopardizing due process. Experiences of the three sites are detailed in terms of obstacles in the movement of cases through the adjudicatory process and the development of strategies for problem resolution in cooperation with other criminal justice agencies (police, prosecutors, public defenders, probation, and corrections). Models used by the three sites are described: early case disposition (Providence), motions management (Santa Clara), and special drug court (New Orleans). Appendixes contain the case sample methodology, forms, and data sheets. 28 tables and 6 figures