NCJ Number
58067
Date Published
1979
Length
104 pages
Annotation
THE JUDICIAL CENTER EVALUATED A TEST OF WORD PROCESSING MACHINES AND RELATED ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT TRANSMISSIONS CAPABILITY TO DETERMINE CHANGES IN JUDICIAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.
Abstract
THE COURT WAS INTERESTED IN LEARNING WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WOULD HAPPEN IF EACH JUDGE'S CHAMBERS HAD AVAILABLE AN ELECTRONIC WORD PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR THE PREPARATION OF OPINIONS AND, FURTHERMORE, IF THE MACHINERY IN EACH JUDGE'S CHAMBERS COULD BE COUPLED WITH A TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TO ALLOW DRAFT OPINIONS TO BE ELECTRONICALLY TRANSMITTED BETWEEN CHAMBERS IN DIFFERENT CITIES. TEN JUDGES AND SEVERAL ADMINISTRATORS LOCATED IN 6 CITIES IN THE THIRD CIRCUIT WERE EACH PROVIDED A MODERN CATHODE RAY TUBE WORD PROCESSING SYSTEM CONTAINING A TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITY. THE FEDERAL JUDICIAL CENTER DEVELOPED A SPECIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM TO GIVE THIRD CIRCUIT USERS ACCESS TO A CENTRAL 'ELECTRONIC MAIL POST OFFICE' SYSTEM ON THE COURTRAN II COMPUTER. TYPING SURVEYS, OPINION CIRCULATION SURVEYS, AND APPELLATE-CASE TRACKING SURVEYS WERE COMPLETED DURING A 1977-1978 DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES. THE RESULTS REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL TIME SAVINGS, ATTRIBUTABLE ALMOST ENTIRELY TO REDUCTION IN THE TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS OF OPINION DRAFTING. IN ADDITION, REDUCTIONS OF 52 AND 25 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY WERE NOTICED IN THE TIME REQUIRED BY THE COURT SPECIFICALLY TO PREPARE AND TO ISSUE PER CURIAM AND SIGNED OPINIONS. AN OVERALL REDUCTION OF 3 WEEKS WAS OBSERVED IN THE TOTAL TIME FROM FILING TO DISPOSING OF AN APPEAL THAT REQUIRED A WRITTEN OPINION. THE ELECTRONIC MAILING CAPABILITY REDUCED DELIVERY TIME BY 75 PERCENT, ALBEIT AT A HIGHER COST THAN POSTAL SERVICE, AND CLERICAL TIME WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED. THE STUDY INSTRUMENT AND STUDY DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)