LOS ANGELES COUNTY - MUNICIPAL COURTS - SUMMARY OF THE JUDICIAL WEIGHTED CASELOAD SYSTEM PROJECT PRELIMINARY REPORT

• NCJ Number: 14183
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Los Angeles Cty
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS REPORT RELATES THE RESULTS OF A WEIGHTED CASELOAD STUDY OF THE CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR AND MUNICIPAL COURTS.

Abstract

THE PURPOSE OF THE WEIGHTED CASELOAD SYSTEM IS TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR THE ACCURATE PREDICTION OF JUDICIAL STAFFING NEEDS IN THE COURTS. THE CONCEPT UNDERLYING THE SYSTEM IS THE RECOGNITION THAT NOT ALL TYPES OF CASES AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS CONSUME THE SAME AMOUNT OF JUDICIAL TIME. GIVEN THAT FACT, THE WEIGHTED CASELOAD SYSTEM ASSIGNS WEIGHTS (AVERAGES OF TIME) TO CASES WHICH IT THEN RELATES IN A FORMULA TO THE ESTIMATED FILINGS IN EACH COURT TO PREDICT THE COURTS' JUDICIAL STAFFING NEEDS. THE MATHEMATICAL FORMULA USED TO COMPUTE THE CASE-TYPE'S WEIGHT IS PRESENTED. THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT ARE CONCERNED WITH THE USE OF MORE INDICATIVE FACTORS AND THE REQUANTIFICATION OF JUDGE YEAR VALUES (THE QUANTUM OF TIME IN MINUTES THAT A JUDGE DEVOTES TO CASE RELATED MATTERS). MINOR POLICY CHANGES IN THE UTILIZATION OF THE RESULTS ARE ALSO RECOMMENDED. TABLES ARE APPENDED THAT CONTAIN DATA ON JUDICIAL STAFFING IN THE PARTICIPATING COURTS.