NCJ Number
55586
Date Published
1979
Length
190 pages
Annotation
CASELOAD AND POPULATION DATA ARE ANALYZED IN AN EVALUATION OF THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPERIOR COURT JUDGESHIPS IN GEORGIA'S 42 JUDICIAL CIRCUITS.
Abstract
THE SUPERIOR COURT IS ONE OF FOUR PRINCIPAL TRIAL COURTS OF RECORD IN GEORGIA, THE OTHERS BEING THE PROBATE, STATE, AND JUVENILE COURTS. THERE ARE 159 SUPERIOR, 92 PROBATE, 64 STATE, AND 159 JUVENILE COURTS IN THE STATE. THE ONLY CASE TYPES HEARD EXCLUSIVELY IN THE SUPERIOR COURTS ARE FELONY AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS. THE STATE JUDICIAL COUNCIL'S POLICY IS STATED REGARDING THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIJUDGE SUPERIOR COURTS; I.E., IMPROVED COURT ADMINISTRATION, CASELOAD AND JURY MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES, AND PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ECONOMIES. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS IN 3 OF THE 42 CIRCUITS EVALUATED ARE PRESENTED. PAST RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS ARE REVIEWED, WITH INDICATIONS OF CIRCUITS IN WHICH JUDGESHIPS ACTUALLY WERE ADDED. ANALYSIS OF CASELOADS IN THESE CIRCUITS INDICATES THAT THE COUNCIL'S PAST RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A MORE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THE JUDICIAL WORKLOAD AMONG THE STATE'S CIRCUITS AND JUDGES. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS USED IN DEVELOPING THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DESCRIBED. A LIST OF THE DATA ELEMENTS AND CASE TYPES INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMINOLOGY ARE PROVIDED. THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING ANALYSES: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THREE CIRCUITS FOR WHICH ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS ARE RECOMMENDED; LEVELS OF SUPERIOR COURT FILINGS IN FISCAL 1978 AND IN PRIOR YEARS FOR ALL CIRCUITS; DISPOSITIONS IN ALL CIRCUITS; DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ALL CIRCUITS; AND CASELOADS OF SUPPORTING COURTS (STATE, PROBATE, JUVENILE). SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA ACCOMPANY EACH ANALYSIS. (LKM)