NCJ Number
205677
Date Published
February 2004
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings of an analysis of Delaware's Byrne Grant Pilot Program to Improve Disposition Times in a Justice of the Peace Court ("pilot program"), whose purpose was to reduce case-processing times by decreasing the number of transfers from the Justice of the Peace Court (JP) to the Court of Common Pleas (CCP).
Abstract
This goal was to be achieved by providing two public defenders and two deputy attorneys general to handle cases at the JP Court, thereby providing defendants and victims, if applicable, the option to resolve cases at the JP level rather than transferring them to the CCP level. This report, which is the final report for the pilot project, focuses on the 10 months prior to the pilot program's implementation and the first 20 months of the program's operation. The pilot program was launched in JP Court 20 (JP20), with the aim of expanding the design to other JP courts. The analysis of case processing under the pilot program showed that over the first 20 months of its operation there was a significant increase in the number (by an average of about 125 cases per month) and percentage (from about 54 to 70 percent) of cases retained in JP20 for final disposition. There was also an apparent decrease in case processing times in JP20 compared to the 10 months prior to the program's implementation. The overall average processing time for cases within the program declined by more than 30 days. This occurred while the court experienced a substantial increase in caseload. If the program were to be expanded to other JP courts, the CCP caseload could be reduced by about 25 percent; however, additional analysis should be performed to identify the cost/benefit and other issues. 1 table and 8 figures