COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA SYSTEMS PARTICIPATION BY STATE SUPREME COURTS

• NCJ Number: 32196
• Author(s): W M LYDAY
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 19 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-TA-99-0006; 72-DF-99-0047; 75-DF-99-0031
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF STATE SUPREME COURTS ON WHETHER AGENCIES SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA GENERATED BY STATE COURTS.

Abstract

AS A SEPARATE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, STATE SUPREME COURTS ARE GENERALLY RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA SYSTEM UNLESS THEY CAN REMAIN INDEPENDENT OF EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES, MAINTAIN THEIR OWN DATA PROCESSING FACILITIES AND RELEASE ONLY SELECTED DATA. STATE SUPREME COURTS WOULD SHARE A CRIMINAL CASE INFORMATION SYSTEM ONLY IF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH AN OPERATION RESTED COMPOSED OF EQUAL REPRESENTATION FROM ALL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. STATE SUPREME COURTS ARE PROTECTIVE OF THE SECURITY AND PRIVACY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION. IN ORDER TO PROTECT THIS INFORMATION, STATE SUPREME COURT WOULD RESTRICT THE RELEASE OF MOST CRIMINAL CASE OFFENDER-BASED DATA TO JUDICIAL PERSONNEL AND AGENCIES DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE TRIAL AND APPEAL PROCESS. STATE SUPREME COURTS ARE MOST APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE RELEASE OF ALMOST ANY COURT-GENERATED DATA, ESPECIALLY ANY INFORMATION WHICH WOULD ENABLE OTHER AGENCIES TO DERIVE JUDICIAL STATISTICS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)