NCJ Number
79932
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
At the dedication to the opening of the National Center for State Courts, an organization aimed at improving the State court system, the pollsters, Yankelovich and White, discuss the results of a survey of consumers' attitudes regarding the role of judges and the functions of the court system.
Abstract
Justice Pringle introduces the session with a discussion of the judicial reform movement. He emphasizes the need for additional study into the science of operating court systems and reviews the improvements made in the court system. Fred Friendly, a professor of journalism, then introduces Daniel Yankelovich who provides the background for the study and describes its findings. Yankelovich notes that the public has great expectations of the courts, yet people's knowledge of court operations is low and their experience with the court system is limited. The major concern of citizens polled is crime in the streets. They have little confidence that the courts will protect them from this type of criminal and want more action in this area. Arthur White then explains the survey methodology and presents a detailed look at the results. Chief Justice Theodore Newman of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals also discusses the results of the survey and court reform in general. Fred Friendly concludes the session by emphasizing that judges need to explain their actions to the public, asserting that citizens would be more sympathetic if they were aware of the reasons behind court actions.