NCJ Number
15075
Date Published
1969
Length
13 pages
Annotation
A COMPARISON AND EVALUATION OF THE STATE JUDICIAL STATISTICAL REPORTS WHICH IDENTIFIES KEY FEATURES IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT AND SUGGESTS THE USE OF A COURT ADMINISTRATOR TO FACILITATE ADEQUATE STATISTICAL REPORTS.
Abstract
A RECENT GROUP OF STATE COURT STATISTICS WAS ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO WRITTEN THEORIES ON THE NEED FOR COURT STATISTICS AND THE TYPES OF STATISTICS NEEDED. ONLY STATEWIDE STATISTICS WERE ANALYZED SPECIFICALLY. FACTORS INVESTIGATED IN THIS REPORT WERE THE IDENTIFICATION OF COURT BACKLOGS, REPORTING BY CASE TYPE OR DISPOSITION TYPE, DETAIL IN BACKLOG REPORTING, STATISTICS FOR THE EVALUATION OF REMEDIES, COST DATA, NARRATIVE SECTIONS, FREQUENCY OF REPORTS, AND UNIFORMITY OF REPORTS. IN MANY RESPECTS, STATE STATISTICAL REPORTS WERE FOUND TO BE INADEQUATE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE MAJOR LIMITATIONS ON STAFFS WHICH SHOW POORER PERFORMANCES IN REPORTING WERE THE FAILURE TO ESTABLISH A CENTRAL OFFICE FOR THE FULFILLING OF THE STATISTICAL FUNCTION AND THE FAILURE TO PROVIDE AUTHORITY OR INCENTIVES TO REQUIRE COMPILATION AT THE LOWEST LEVEL, THAT OF THE LOCAL CLERKS OF COURTS. A LIST OF STATE COURT STATISTICAL MATERIALS AND AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JUDICIAL STATISTICS ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)