NCJ Number
63904
Date Published
1979
Length
49 pages
Annotation
THE OPERATION OF A MODEL FAMILY COURT PROJECT IN MICHIGAN IS EVALUATED FROM APRIL 1977 TO MARCH 1978 IN TERMS OF PROJECT DESIGN, THE IMPACT UPON CLIENT FAMILIES, AND THE INTERACTION WITH COMMUNITY AGENCIES.
Abstract
OPERATING WITHIN THE FOUR-COUNTY AREA OF THE 26TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THE FAMILY COURT PILOT PROJECT SOUGHT TO DEMONSTRATE: (1) STH FEASIBILITY OF HANDLING ALL DOMESTIC RELATIONS, JUVENILE, AND FAMILYRELATED JURISDICTIONS WITHIN THE PROBATE COURTS, (2) DEFINING AND UTILIZING EXISTING COMMUNITY RESOURCES ANND INITIATING ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO PROVIDE COORDINATED ADJUDICATION AND PRE- AND POST-ADJUDICATION SERVICES TO PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE COURT PROCESS AS A FAMILY UNIT, (3) DOCUMENTING THE IMPACT OF A COMBINED SERVICES FAMILY COURT UPON THE INCIDENCE OF JUVENILE AND FAMILYRELATED CRIME, AND (4) DETERMINING THE IMPACT UPON THE PENDING AND/OR BACKLOG CRIMINAL DOCKETS OF THE CIRCUIT COURTS, AND THE PROCESSING TIME OF CRIMINAL CASES, RESULTING FROM THE TRANSFER OF DOMESTIC AND FAMILY-RELATED JURISDICTION TO THE FAMILY COURT. BECAUSE EVALUATION OF PREEXISTING CONDITIONS WAS VERY LIMITED, ANALYSIS OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THE MODEL FAMILY COURT WAS CONFINED TO THE FOLLOWING PROJECT RECORDS WITHIN A SPECIAL DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM: (1) JUDGE TIME RECORD, (2) CASE TRANSACTION RECORD, (3) COURT PERSONNEL TIME RECORD, AND (4) CASE CHARACTERISTICS RECORD, INCLUDING THE FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS RECORD AND THE JUVENILE CASE CHARACTERISTICS RECORD. DESCRIPTION AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF EACH OF THESE RECORDS IS FOLLOWED BY STATISTICS ON FAMILY COURT DISPOSITIONS, INTERVIEWS WITH COURT PERSONNEL AND 19 CASE DESCRIPTIONS THAT ILLUSTRATE CONTINUING COURT INVOLVEMENT OF FAMILIES IN PROBATE/JUVENILE COURT, CIRCUIT COURT AND FAMILY COURT. THE REMAINING SECTIONS INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS OF THE PROBLEMS THAT HAMPERED THE OPERATION OF THE MODEL FAMILY COURT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE PILOT PROJECT FOR A MODEL FAMILY COURT ACHIEVED ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF ITS OBJECTIVES DUE TO FACTORS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF COURT PERSONNEL. TABLES ARE PROVIDED.