NCJ Number
166729
Date Published
1997
Length
112 pages
Annotation
This Annual Report for the New Mexico judicial branch focuses on the most important activities of the court system during the 1995-96 fiscal year, presents the initiatives begun for 1996-97, and provides statistics for individual courts and levels of courts.
Abstract
A review of the highlights for fiscal year 1995-96 notes that every level of State court ended the fiscal year with a growing backlog of cases. Because of inadequate resources, the courts were unable to keep up with the public demand for their services in resolving disputes. The Judicial Information Division was successful in automating an additional 49 court sites in 1996, all using the same case-processing application. During the past 2 years, two drug courts began operation, and a pilot study was conducted on judicial performance evaluations. Through an agreement with the National Center for State Courts' Institute for Court Management, the Administrative Office of the Courts sponsored six courses in the Court Executive Development Program. This report describes court activities during the year for the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, district courts, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, magistrate courts, and the Administrative Office of the Courts. Funding is also reported for State judiciary activity for 1996-97. The caseload statistics show that the pending caseloads at the end of the year were substantially higher than last year for the magistrate courts, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, the district courts, and even the Court of Appeals. Statistical addendum