ALTERNATIVE TO COURT - AN EVALUATION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY (FLA) BAR ASSOCIATION'S CITIZEN DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 43949
• Author(s): R F CONNER; R SURETTE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: American Bar Assoc (Basics)
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION FEBRUARY 22-24, 1977, WASHINGTON, D C PANEL 30 - EVALUATING ALTERNATIVES TO ADJUDICATION

Annotation

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROJECT IS EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF RATINGS BY COMPLAINANTS, RESPONDENTS, AND HEARING OFFICERS.

Abstract

THE ORANGE COUNTY CITIZEN DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROJECT, INITIATED IN LATE 1975, WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE IMPARTIAL HEARINGS FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH COMPLAINTS INVOLVING ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS, MISDEMEANORS, AND RELATIVELY MINOR FELONIES (E.G., SIMPLE ASSAULT). AT THE CONCLUSION OF EACH HEARING, THE COMPLAINANT, RESPONDENT, AND HEARING OFFICER RATED THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THE SETTLEMENT AND THEIR FEELING ABOUT THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE CONFLICT UNDERLYING THE COMPLAINT HAD BEEN SOLVED. IN ADDITION, FOLLOWUP RATINGS WERE MADE BY A SAMPLE OF CLIENTS 3 WEEKS AFTER THEIR HEARINGS. FROM JANUARY THROUGH OCTOBER 1976, THE PROJECT RECEIVED 306 COMPLAINTS, MOST FREQUENTLY INVOLVING HARRASSMENT OR SIMPLE ASSAULT. HEARINGS WERE HELD IN 194 OF THE CASES. COMPLAINANTS, RESPONDENTS, AND HEARING OFFICERS GENERALLY WERE SATISFIED WITH THE SETTLEMENTS. HEARING OFFICERS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS OPTIMISTIC THAN WERE CLIENTS WITH REGARD TO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT UNDERLYING CONFLICTS HAD BEEN RESOLVED. IN THE FOLLOWUP INTERVIEWS, THE MAJORITY OF COMPLAINANTS AND RESPONDENTS CONTINUED TO BE SATISFIED WITH THEIR SETTLEMENTS. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY REPORTED THAT THEIR PROBLEMS HAD BEEN SOLVED, A SUBSTANTIAL MINORITY FELT THAT THEIR PROBLEMS, REMAINED UNSOLVED. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED.