NCJ Number
164026
Date Published
1996
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The felony court system in Jefferson Parish, La. was examined with respect to case characteristics, case processing, judges' compliance with American Bar Association time standards for felony case processing, and the size and time since initiation of each judge's active pending caseload.
Abstract
The analysis used data from a random sample of 25 percent of the felony cases closed during 1994 and 1995. The analysis revealed that theft cases accounted for 32 percent of the court's docket, while drug cases accounted for 30 percent. Seventy percent of the defendants were released from custody prior to trial. Twenty percent of those release failed to appear for court and were at large for more than 3 months at some time during the case processing. Sixty-four percent of the felony defendants were represented by the public defender's office. Judge and jury trials accounted for only 1 percent of all disposition types. Approximately 25 percent of the charges were dismissed by the district attorney's office; guilty pleas accounted for 73 percent of all dispositions. Considerable variation existed within the court with respect to basic docket management functions and core performance issues. Recommended changes, figures, tables, and footnotes