NCJ Number
49928
Date Published
1978
Length
37 pages
Annotation
WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE LEAA, THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN CIRCUIT AND DISTRICT COURTS OF LANE COUNTY, OREG., WERE STUDIED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT WERE MADE.
Abstract
DURING SITE WORK, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE DISPOSITION OF INACTIVE RECORDS WAS AT A VIRTUAL STANDSTILL. THIS LACK OF ACTION WAS ATTRIBUTED TO ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CONFLICTING AND AMBIGUOUS STATE STATUTES AND ADMINISTRATIVE RULES GOVERNING THE RETENTION OF COURT RECORDS, INCOMPLETE COVERAGE OF COURT RECORDS IN EXISTING RECORD SCHEDULES, UNREASONABLE RETENTION OF SOME COURT RECORDS BROUGHT ABOUT BY ARBITRARY DECISIONS OR LEGISLATIVE MANDATES, ONE-TIME CLERICAL ERRORS OR LOSS OF COURT FILES, LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE COURT RETENTION SCHEDULES, BUILT-IN FEARS ABOUT DESTROYING COURT RECORDS EVEN THOUGH DESTRUCTION WAS AUTHORIZED, FAILURE OF THE COURTS TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN APPRAISING THE VALUE OF ITS OWN RECORDS, AND LACK OF COORDINATED ACTION AT THE STATE LEVEL TO APPRAISE REALISTICALLY THE VALUE OF COURT RECORDS. VARIOUS OTHER ASPECTS OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WERE EVALUATED, AND CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RELEVANT TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THESE PRACTICES WERE DERIVED. THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERN CIRCUIT COURT CASE FILES (ADOPTIONS, CHANGE OF NAME, CIVIC AND DOMESTIC, CRIMINAL CASES, DELAYED BIRTHS, RECIPROCAL CASES, TAX FORECLOSURE, AND USERS OF DRUGS), MICROFILMING CASE PAPERS, THE CASE PROGRESS DOCKET, EQUIPMENT RECORDS STORAGE, STATISTICAL REPORTING, RECORDS STORAGE DISPOSITION, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTERIZED NUMBERING INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES, TRAFFIC CASE FILES, MISDEMEANOR CASE FILES, FELONY CASE FILES, CIVIL CASE FILES. SAMPLE FORMS, WORKSHEETS, AND A DESCRIPTION OF SPACE-SAVING TECHNIQUES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE RECORDS MANAGEMENT ARE CONTAINED AS EXHIBITS. (DEP)