NCJ Number
54989
Date Published
1978
Length
87 pages
Annotation
THE ARKANSAS STATE COURT SYSTEM IS DESCRIBED IN ONE OF A SERIES OF REPORTS PREPARED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS TO HELP STATES IMPLEMENT THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA) COURT ORGANIZATION STANDARDS.
Abstract
THE REPORT IS BASED ON A REVIEW OF ARKANSAS' CONSTITUTION, STATUTES, COURT RULES, ANNUAL COURT REPORTS, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PERSONNEL MANUALS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS. AN OVERVIEW SUMMARIZES INFORMATION ON COURT STRUCTURE (APPELLATE AND TRIAL COURTS), JUDGES (QUALIFICATIONS, SELECTION, TERMS OF OFFICE, DISCIPLINE, REMOVAL, COMPENSATION, RETIREMENT AGE, CONTINUING EDUCATION, PARAJUDICIAL OFFICES), ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE (ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY, STATE ADMINISTRATION, COURT ADMINISTRATION, POLICYMAKING AND RULEMAKING AUTHORITY, NONJUDICIAL COURT PERSONNEL), FINANCE AND BUDGET (FUNDING, FINES AND FEES, BUDGETING PROCEDURES), AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (RECORDKEEPING, STATISTICS, DATA PROCESSING), THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH ASPECT OF THE ARKANSAS COURT SYSTEM COMPLIES WITH THE ABA STANDARDS IS NOTED. CHARTS PRESENT A GRAPHIC SUMMARY OF ORGANIZATION AND LINES OF RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE COURT SYSTEM, DEPICTING ROUTES OF APPEAL, ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, APPELLATE AND TRIAL JURISDICTIONS, AND FUNDING SOURCES. THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT CONSISTS OF SEPARATE PROFILES FOR EACH ASPECT OF THE COURT SYSTEM COVERED IN THE OVERFLOW. CROSSINDEXED TO THE PROFILES IS A CHART DETAILING THE DEGREE OF SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE ARKANSAS COURT SYSTEM AND EACH ABA STANDARD. SOURCE DOCUMENTS ARE LISTED. (LKM)