NCJ Number
148886
Journal
State Court Journal Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer/Fall 1993) Pages: 3- 11
Date Published
1993
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Various methodologies and criteria are used to determine the need for judicial positions in State courts, and this article highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used measures and criteria in 1992.
Abstract
Case-related direct measures include case filings and active pending cases, while case-related indirect measures include number of dispositions, manner of dispositions, and case processing time. Noncase-related criteria, or surrogate measures, concern the use of outside judicial assistance, population size or growth, number of attorneys, and travel time. The authors contend that the best direct measure of the demand for court services and consequently the need for judicial positions is the number of weighted case filings. Because cases vary in complexity and in the amount of judge time required to process, some States weight some cases more than others. The basic idea of case weighting involves determining the total time required to hear all cases, the amount of time the typical judge has available, and the number of judges needed (determined by dividing the time required to hear cases by the judge time available). Other considerations in the use of both quantitative and nonquantitative criteria to determine the need for judicial positions in State courts are discussed. 11 notes and 3 figures