NCJ Number
44839
Date Published
Unknown
Length
192 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT REPRESENTS AN OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPERIOR COURT JUDGESHIPS IN GEORGIA.
Abstract
THE DATA FOR THE 1978 JUDGESHIP STUDY WERE COLLECTED BY THE EIGHT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS IN THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH SUCH A POSITION HAD BEEN FILLED AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY AND BY MEMBERS OF THE AMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS' RESEARCH STAFF IN THE TWO REMAINING DISTRICTS. THE STUDY INCLUDES A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPERIOR COURT JUDGESHIPS IN ALL 42 CIRCUITS IN GEORGIA. ALL DATA WERE COLLECTED FOR THE 1977 FISCAL YEAR IN THE SUPERIOR, PROBATE, STATE, AND JUVENILE COURTS OF GEORGIA. THE 1977 FISCAL YEAR WAS SELECTED AS THE TIME PERIOD FOR THIS STUDY SO THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE 1978 GENERAL ASSEMBLY COULD BE BASED ON THE MOST CURRENT DATA WHICH COULD BE COLLECTED USING A MANUAL SYSTEM. IN THE PROCESS OF FORMULATING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL CONSIDERED THE NEED FOR JUDGESHIPS NOT ONLY BY REVIEWING THE DATA FOR EACH CIRCUIT, BUT ALSO BY USING A PERSPECTIVE BASED ON THE NEWLY CREATED ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS WHICH WERE ESTABLISHED TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY OF JUDICIAL MANPOWER. THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL RECOMMENDS THAT ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS BE CREATED IN 6 OF GEORGIA'S 42 JUDICIAL CIRCUITS. THE REPORT INCLUDES THE RESULT OF A DETAILED SURVEY OF CASELOAD AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ALL 42 JUDICIAL CIRCUITS IN GEORGIA. ALL CIRCUITS ARE EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF AN ESTABLISHED SET OF CRITERIA, AND THE 6 CIRCUITS RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS GENERALLY EXCEED THE OTHER 36 CIRCUITS IN THE RELEVANT CATEGORIES OF ANALYSIS. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE WITH THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF ACHIEVING A BALANCED AND EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF COURT WORK AMONG THE JUDGES OF THE STATE. SUPPORTING MATERIALS ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).