NCJ Number
184307
Date Published
2000
Length
66 pages
Annotation
This 1999 Annual Report on Rhode Island's judiciary profiles the activities of the State's judicial system during the 1999 calendar year and is intended to be a valuable source of information on the judiciary's operation.
Abstract
The year 1999 saw a number of improvements and innovations in each of the six courts that compose Rhode Island's unified judicial system. In an effort to deal effectively with its massive caseload, the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal installed a new computer system and made various improvements to ensure that the public is served in a more timely and efficient manner. The District Court has continued to deal effectively with its varied and numerically significant case load. Both civil and criminal cases have been managed well. The Family Court has continued to mount innovative programs, such as the formation of a new Truancy Court, a new drug calendar, and an aggressive approach to domestic violence and child support problems. The Workers' Compensation Court continues to be a model for the Nation in its timely disposition of complex cases. It has positively affected the business community by reducing workers' compensation insurance premiums as well as ensuring that employees receive appropriate compensation in a timely manner; most cases are reached for initial hearing within 30 days or less. The Superior Court has continued with its alternate dispute resolution, court annexed arbitration, and mediation programs, and the court has moved closer to meeting its goals of time standard performance. The Supreme Court continues to reduce its case inventory and remains one of the most current appellate courts of its type in the United States; cases are resolved in an average of 10 months from the time of filing to disposition. The plans of the unified judiciary for logistical, computer, and structural improvements are advancing at a satisfactory pace. Appended court statistics, rosters, and directory