Court Delay Reduction

• NCJ Number: 75695
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: LEAA Program Brief - Information Guide for Judges, Court Administrators Clerks, and Interested Justice Personnel.

Annotation

This program brief discusses LEAA's response to the problem of court delay. It describes a variety of methods of demonstrated effectiveness that lower criminal and civil case backlogs and processing times while observing fundamental standards of fairness and due process.

Abstract

The key case management strategies advocated in this brief include forming a justice system advisory committee, defining the range of case processing system of the court, and collecting statistical or sampling data on the case processing time for each procedural step from commencement through disposition. Subsequent measures recommended are the development of case processing goals, which include time increments for each step in the process, and the implementation of changes in current practices and procedures through special task forces and subcommittees that include nonjudicial representatives from the local bar and court support agencies. A permanent monitoring and control system to measure court performance is also recommeded. At the State level the need for a statewide trial court reporting and accountability system is discussed. Statewide and local demonstration efforts that have implemented case management improvements are briefly described. They include statewide projects in Massachusetts, Alabama, and New Jersey and metropolitan court demonstrations in Detroit, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C. Areas for future action are identified, with statewide strategies for delay reduction deemed as the priority for the 1980's. Education and training emphasizing case management skills, State technical assistance teams to intensify local delay reduction efforts, joint bench/bar association cooperative action, and alternative dispute resolution are among the program initiatives recommended. Sources for further information and assistance are noted in an 11-item bibliography and a listing of State and local LEAA project contacts. A flow chart of the efficient processing of cases is provided.