NCJ Number
12416
Date Published
1973
Length
29 pages
Annotation
STANDARDS AND COMMENTS ON CASE JACKET DESIGN TO FACILITATE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AND SPACE UTILIZATION IN PROSECUTORS' OFFICES.
Abstract
IT IS CLEAR TO ANY PROSECUTOR THAT IN ONE SENSE HE IS WORKING IN THE MIDST OF A PAPER WORK FACTORY - THE INPUT INTO HIS OFFICE, THE PROCESSING OF THE INPUT, AND THE FINAL OUTPUT IS ALL RECORDED ON PAPER. ACCORDINGLY, HE CANNOT PERFORM HIS TASK ADEQUATELY OR PROVIDE A HIGH STANDARD OF JUSTICE TO THE COMMUNITY HE SERVES UNLESS HIS RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS EFFICIENT. THE MOST IMPORTANT PAPERS IN THE PROSECUTOR'S SYSTEM ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THE CASE JACKET, WHICH REFLECTS THE HISTORY AS WELL AS THE EFFORTS AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE OFFICE IN EACH CASE HANDLED. SINCE THE CASE JACKET IS A COMPILATION OF ALL DOCUMENTS RELEVANT TO A CASE, IT SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT IT CAN BE OF MAXIMUM USE AND EASILY CONTROLLED. THIS STUDY, CONSIDERING THE EXPERIENCE OF NUMEROUS TRIAL PROSECUTORS AND SURVEYING CASE JACKETS FROM OFFICES NATIONWIDE, DEVELOPED STANDARDS AND CONSIDERATIONS WHICH WERE COMBINED TO FORM A MODEL CASE JACKET FOR USE BY PROSECUTORS' OFFICES WHEN CRITICALLY EVALUATING THEIR EXISTING FILING SYSTEMS. THE MODEL CASE JACKET HAS EASILY ACCESSIBLE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL INFORMATION WHICH CAN BE RETRIEVED WITHOUT OPENING OR SEARCHING THROUGH THE CONTENTS OF THE FOLDER. TRIAL DOCUMENTS, HOWEVER, ARE ORGANIZED TO ENSURE THAT THEY APPEAR IN THE ORDER THEY WILL BE NEEDED TO PERMIT THE PROSECUTOR TO ASCERTAIN QUICKLY WHETHER ANY ARE MISSING. THE TRIAL JACKET STANDARDS AND COMMENTARY WILL BE USEFUL TO ANY OFFICE WHICH DESIRES TO MAKE THIS PROSECUTORIAL TOOL MORE USEFUL. (SNI ABSTRACT)