NCJ Number
82205
Date Published
1980
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This report analyzes the appellate system in Vermont and recommends organizational changes and possible improvements.
Abstract
At present, the Vermont Supreme Court is not confronted with a serious problem of volume. The court had decided to take responsibility for appeals from inception to conclusion. To prevent further problems, proposed organizational changes are suggested involving streamlining appellate clerical functions and creating an appellate management justice who would work regularly with the court clerk on matters involving the supreme court. The court should adopt information forms which provide additional information on an appeal to the supreme court and thereby make possible a number of case management functions. The court should establish a preargument settlement conference, an accelerated docket, stricter transcript production standards, changes in the sentence review procedure, and other reform measures. Sample information forms, a memo on preargument appellate settlement conferences, and a description of case processing and transcript production in Vermont are appended. Organizational charts are included.