NCJ Number
69092
Date Published
1979
Length
197 pages
Annotation
A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CREATION OF ADDITIONAL SUPERIOR COURT JUDGESHIPS IS SUGGESTED AS THE RESULT OF A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND CASELOAD CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 42 JUDICIAL CIRCUITS IN GEORGIA.
Abstract
DATA FOR THIS ANNUAL REPORT (1979) WERE COLLECTED BY THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS IN THE NINE DISTRICTS IN WHICH SUCH A POSITION HAD BEEN FILLED AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY AND BY MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS RESEARCH STAFF IN THE REMAINING DISTRICTS, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF LOCAL COURT PERSONNEL. DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS WERE DIRECTED TOWARD THE FOUR PRINCIPAL TRIAL COURTS OF RECORD IN GEORGIA: THE SUPERIOR, PROBATE, STATE, AND JUVENILE COURTS. DATA ARE PRESENTED ON FILINGS IN THE SUPERIOR COURTS, DISPOSITION CHARACTERISTICS OF JUDICIAL DISTRICT CASELOADS, POPULATION CHANGES IN EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, AND SOURCES OF JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE FROM CONCURRENT JURISDICTIONS. THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA FOR EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT BY THE USE OF THE RATIO WEIGHTED SYSTEM AND THE DELPHI WEIGHTED CASELOAD FORMULA RESULTED IN THE RECOMMENDATION THAT ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS BE CREATED IN 7 OF GEORGIA'S 42 JUDICIAL CIRCUITS. THE DATA ON WORKLOADS CONFRONTING EACH OF GEORGIA'S SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES IN EACH CIRCUIT WERE PRESENTED IN THE FOLLOWING TABLES OF JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CASE FILINGS: (1) TOTAL CASELOAD PER JUDGE RANKED BY CIRCUIT, (2) NUMBER OF CRIMINAL CASE FILINGS IN 1979 IN EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, (3) SUPERIOR COURT CIRCUIT RANKINGS BY FELONY AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS FILINGS PER JUDGE IN 1979, AND (4) THE AVERAGE AND OBSERVED RATE OF CHANGE IN SUPERIOR COURT FILINGS PER JUDGE FROM 1976 TO 1979 AND FROM 1978 TO 1979. CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASE DISPOSITIONS DATA ON EACH CIRCUIT ARE IDENTIFIED AND ANALYZED AS PERCENTS OF FILINGS AND BY METHODS OF ADJUDICATION FOR EACH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASE TYPE. EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IS RANKED BY RATE OF POPULATION CHANGE AND POPULATION PER JUDGE. LASTLY, DATA ANALYSIS IS CONDUCTED ON THE NUMBER OF SUPPORTING STATE, PROBATE, AND JUVENILE COURTS FOR EACH JUDICIAL DISTRICT AND THE SUPERIOR COURT CASELOAD BY ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT. FOUR APPENDIXES INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON COURT JURISDICTIONS, CASELOADS BY COURT TYPES, AND JUDICIAL PERSONNEL. FOOTNOTES ARE GIVEN.