COURTRAN FROM THE USER'S POINT OF VIEW (FROM PROJECT SEARCH - INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS SYSTEMS - PROCEEDINGS, 1972 BY GARY COOPER - SEE NCJ-09380)

• NCJ Number: 48295
• Author(s): N GOLD
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 5 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Project Search (See Search Group Inc)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

APPLICATIONS OF COURTRAN, A MODULAR MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SOFTWARE SYSTEM BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA U. S. DISTRICT COURT ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

THE COURT HAS A CURRENT CRIMINAL CASELOAD OF ABOUT 1300, AND MOST OF THESE CASES REQUIRE UPDATING ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. THUS, DATA PREPARATION INVOLVES THE RECEIPT, IDENTIFICATION, CODING, AND KEYPUNCHING OF BETWEEN 1,000 AND 3,000 TRANSACTIONS PER MONTH. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY A SINGLE DATA PROCESSING ASSISTANT WHO IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR TIGHT CONTROL MEASURES ON DATA INPUT. INPUT TO THE SYSTEM COMES FROM FIVE SOURCES: COURTROOM TRANSACTION RECORDS; PAPERS FILED OVER THE COUNTER IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE; NOTICES OF CASE TRANSFERS; NOTICES OF PROSECUTOR REASSIGNMENTS; AND NOTICES OF COMPLETION OF PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS FROM PROBATION. OF THESE, ALL BUT THE PROBATION OFFICE NOTICES PREEXISTED THE SYSTEM. ONCE ALL INPUT FOR A REPORTING PERIOD HAS BEEN PROCESSED BY THE ASSISTANT, THE DATA ARE TURNED OVER TO AN OPERATOR FOR ENTRY TO THE COMPUTER. ALL INDICTMENTS ARE CHECKED AGAINST A SEQUENTIAL NUMBER LIST, AND TWO EDIT PHASES PRECEDE REPORT PRINTOUT AND DISTRIBUTION. THE TURNAROUND PERIOD CAN BE AS SHORT AS 24 HOURS OR, IF THERE ARE MANY ERRORS, AS LONG AS 72 HOURS. EACH JUDGE RECEIVES A STATUS REPORT ON HIS CASES PENDING TRIAL, CASES AWAITING SENTENCE, AND DEFENDANTS IN HIS CASELOAD. FROM THESE, SIMPLE DIRECTORIES AND INDICES FOR A NUMBER OF MANAGEMENT DECISIONS CONCERNING CASELOAD DISTRIBUTION OR CASELOAD MANAGEMENT TRAINING NEEDS CAN BE MADE. EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF TIME LAPSES TO DISPOSITION, EVENTS PER CASE AND TYPES OF EVENTS CAN ALSO BE UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF JUDICIAL PRACTICES AND UTILIZATION OF JUDICIAL RESOURCES. DATA AVAILABLE FROM COURTRAN REPORTS CAN ALSO ENHANCE COMMUNICATIONS WITH OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND FACILITATE LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. OTHER APPLICATIONS OF COURTRAN DATA INCLUDE ANALYSIS OF PROSECUTORIAL CASELOADS, DEFENSE COUNSEL CASELOADS, UPDATE OF POLICE ARREST DATA WITH COURT DISPOSITIONS, PREPARATION OF MONTHLY STATISTICAL ANALYSES, AND OTHER PRIMARILY CLERICAL CHORES. TIME PARAMETERS FOR CASE EVENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM. CASES NOT FALLING WITHIN THESE PARAMETERS APPEAR ON A FOLLOWUP LIST WHICH GROUPS CASES BY TYPE OF EXCEPTION (FOR INSTANCE, ARRAIGNMENT NOT OCCURRING WITHIN 20 DAYS OF INDICTMENT). COURTRAN WILL ALSO BE USED TO MONITOR CASES IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 50(B) OF THE FEDERAL RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. (JAP)