NCJ Number
164105
Journal
FJC (Federal Judicial Center) Directions Issue: 9 Dated: (June 1996) Pages: 5-13
Date Published
1996
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Based on data collected from 10 Federal court districts with the largest number of civil cases filed between 1989 and 1994, this study presents information and data from an analysis of pro se case filings in these courts.
Abstract
Nine of the 10 districts experienced increases in the number of pro se filings between fiscal 1991 and 1994. More than one- third of pro se cases in the database were nonprisoner filings. Civil rights cases composed the largest category of nonprisoner pro se cases (42 percent). Prisoner filings composed almost two- thirds of the pro se caseload, and they were predominantly civil rights cases (60 percent) and habeas corpus petitions (30 percent); 9 percent were requests to vacate sentence. One-third of all pro se and represented prisoner cases were dismissed before trial, and prisoner cases were less likely to settle than nonprisoner cases. In prisoner cases, the likelihood of dismissal or of judgment on a motion before trial was greater in pro se cases than in represented cases. Pro se cases went to trial as infrequently as represented cases. In pro se cases, the median time from filing to disposition was less for prisoner cases than for nonprisoner cases. Overall, median time from filing to disposition was less for cases in which one or more litigants was pro se than for those in which all parties were represented by counsel. 8 figures