NCJ Number
143218
Date Published
1993
Length
310 pages
Annotation
This report provides updated information about the demands placed on each State court system and how those demands compare across the States.
Abstract
The information is organized to portray accurately the caseload situation in individual State trial and appellate court systems, and to provide information on the similarities and differences in caseload levels, composition, and trends. In compiling the available data, three trends emerge, which are highlighted here. The increases in caseload volume for 1991 are part of a continuing upward trend; the report predicts that many trial and appellate courts will have doubled their caseload by the end of the decade. The greatest increase in caseload over the past 5 years has been in the criminal courts; as a result, States must devote an increasing proportion of resources and innovative management procedures to deal with the flow of State trial court felonies and criminal appeals. Finally, many courts are disposing of fewer cases than they take in each year, resulting in a growing backlog of pending cases. 16 tables, 8 figures, and 4 appendixes