NCJ Number
46861
Date Published
1978
Length
257 pages
Annotation
THIS STATISTICAL AND NARRATIVE REPORT COVERS ALASKA'S SUPREME COURT, TRIAL COURTS, AND COURT ADMINISTRATION. IT ALSO CONTAINS A SPECIAL REPORT ON JURY MANAGEMENT DETAILING IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED OR ALREADY IMPLEMENTED.
Abstract
THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE STATE SUPREME COURT CASELOAD HAS NEARLY DOUBLED IN THE YEARS 1975-1977, RISING FROM 337 TO 613 FILINGS. SUPERIOR COURT FILINGS IN 1977 WERE 13,940, A 33-PERCENT INCREASE OVER 1974. THERE IS AN 11.8-MONTH CASE BACKLOG. ONLY 7 PERCENT OF THESE CASES WERE CRIMINAL MATTERS. MORE THAN 50 PERCENT WERE DOMESTIC RELATION CASES. DISTRICT COURTS HAD 110,434 FILINGS DURING 1977 WITH A 1.6 MONTH AVERAGE CASE BACKLOG. THIS REPRESENTS A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE BACKLOGS REPORTED FOR PREVIOUS YEARS, DUE PRIMARILY TO A COURT REORGANIZATION, MORE MODERN RECORDS MANAGEMENT, THE USE OF MAGISTRATES TO HEAR CHILDREN'S CASES, AND REASSIGNMENT OF JUDGES. THE SPECIAL REPORT ON THE JURY SYSTEM POINTS OUT THAT MULTIPLE LISTS ARE USED AND JURORS ARE SELECTED RANDOMLY BY COMPUTOR, WHICH RESULTS IN ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION. THE MAJOR DISADVANTAGE IS THE 30-DAY JURY SERVICE IN EFFECT IN MOST AREAS OF THE STATE. EVEN THOUGH AN INDIVIDUAL MAY SERVE ONLY A DAY OR TWO, HE OR SHE MUST BE AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME DURING THE PERIOD. THIS OFTEN RESULTS IN GREAT HARDSHIP. JUROR UTILIZATION ALSO NEEDS TO BE REVISED. DURING 1977, A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS WERE PUT INTO EFFECT: THE SUPREME COURT AUTHORIZED AN EXPERIMENTAL 2-WEEK JURY SERVICE; SEVERAL TRIAL COURTS REDUCED PANEL SIZES FOR CERTAIN CASES; AND THE AUTOMATED JURY SYSTEM WAS REDESIGNED TO REDUCE CLERICAL TIME. IN 1978, AN EXPERIMENTAL ONE-DAY/ONE-TRIAL SYSTEM WILL BE INSTITUTED. JUROR PAY WILL BE REVISED SO THAT A JUROR WILL BE PAID NOTHING OR VERY LITTLE FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SERVICE, THEN $40-$50 A DAY FOR SUBSEQUENT DAYS. THIS IS EXPECTED TO REFLECT MORE ACCURATELY THE PROBLEMS OF LONG-TERM SERVICE AND WOULD COST THE STATE LITTLE EXTRA BECAUSE MOST SEVICE IS FOR ONLY 1 DAY. A FULL STATISTICAL REPORT ON THE COURT SYSTEM AND A GLOSSARY OF TERMS ARE APPENDED. (GLR)