NCJ Number
61489
Date Published
1979
Length
71 pages
Annotation
THIS PLAN, PREPARED BY THE TEXAS JUDICIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE, PROPOSES STATUTORY, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND MANAGEMENT CHANGES TO HELP TEXAS COURTS MEET GROWING CASELOADS WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY.
Abstract
THE COMMITTEE, CREATED IN 1977 BY THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 1976 AMENDMENTS TO THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL ACT OF 1968, HAD 21 MEMBERS INCLUDING TRIAL, APPELLATE, CRIMINAL, CIVIL, AND JUVENILE JUDGES, PROSECUTORS, DEFENDERS, LEGISLATORS, GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AND LAW PROFESSORS. BECAUSE TEXAS COURT CASELOADS HAVE GROWN MUCH FASTER THAN TEXAS POPULATION IN THE PAST 5 YEARS, SEVERAL STRATEGIES ARE NEEDED IF THE COURTS ARE TO COPE EFFICIENTLY WITH THEIR GROWING WORK. COURT RESOURCES SHOULD BE EXPANDED, AND THE CRIMINAL APPELLATE STRUCTURE SHOULD BE CHANGED BY GIVING CRIMINAL JURISDICTION TO CIVIL APPEALS COURTS AND BY ELIMINATING APPEALS DE NOVO FROM MUNICIPAL AND JUSTICE COURTS IN TRAFFIC CASES. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES SHOULD PERMIT VOLUNTARY REDISTRIBUTION OF CASES AND JUDGES. FURTHERMORE, COURT OPERATIONS SHOULD BE MADE MORE EFFICIENT THROUGH USE OF CASEFLOW MANAGEMENT, JURY MANAGEMENT, COMPUTER-ASSISTED TRANSCRIPTS, PRETRIAL INVESTIGATION, ANNEX COURTS, AND SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. FINALLY, APPROPRIATE SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES SUCH AS JUVENILE PROBATION SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, FIGURES, A LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)