NCJ Number
27010
Date Published
1975
Length
63 pages
Annotation
THE IMPACT AND PROCESS ARE ASSESSED FOR THIS PROJECT WHICH SEEKS TO APPLY ARBITRATION TECHNIQUES TO SETTLE PRIVATE CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS FOR CASES INVOLVING SUCH ISSUES AS DISPUTES BETWEEN NEIGHBORS OR ACQUAINTANCES.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE TO RELIEVE TRIAL JUDGES OF MINOR CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS WHICH COULD BE HANDLED BY ARBITRATORS AND TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THIS PROGRAM AS A PROGRAM OF THE COURTS. INFORMATION REGARDING PROJECT BACKGROUND AND CASE PROCESSING WAS OBTAINED THROUGH PAST REPORTS AND PROPOSALS, ON-SITE OBSERVATIONS, INTERVIEWS WITH STAFF AND ARBITRATORS, STATISTICAL REPORTS, AND PROJECTS BUDGET INFORMATION. THE EVALUATION SHOWED THAT THE PROJECT HAD MET CRITERIA ESTABLISHED TO MEASURE 'SUCCESS', SINCE THE WITHDRAWAL RATE WAS BELOW 13.3 PERCENT AND THE REMAND RATE BEFORE ARBITRATION WAS LESS THAN 5.1 PERCENT. AFTER SEVEN MONTHS, THE PROJECT HAD BEEN REFERRED MORE THAN SEVEN-TWELFTHS OF THE PROJECTED YEARLY CASELOAD OF 700. FEWER THAN 5.3 PERCENT OF THE CASES WERE REMANDED TO COURTS FOR VIOLATION AFTER ARBITRATION. THE PROJECT DISPOSED OF 75 PERCENT OF ITS CASES WITHIN 29 DAYS OF REFERRAL FROM THE TRIAL COMMISSIONER. THIS WAS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S RATE AND LOWER THAN COURT CASE PROCESSING TIME. THE COST PER CASE FOUND TO BE 83.60 DOLLARS, COMPARED TO 144.00 DOLLARS FOR COURT PROCESSING. STATISTICS ARE PROVIDED ON TYPES OF ARBITRATION DISPOSITIONS, CASELOADS. TYPES OF CHARGES, RELATIONSHIP OF DISPUTING PARTIES, TIME TO DISPOSITION, AND ARBITRATOR CHARACTERISTICS.