NCJ Number
103304
Date Published
1986
Length
74 pages
Annotation
This study examined the costs of continuances to prosecution and defender agencies and witnesses in adult felony and misdemeanor cases in Alexandria, Va.; Mecklenberg County (Charlotte), N.C.; Ventura County, Calif.; and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pa.
Abstract
Cases were weighted by the total amount of attorney effort spent out of court on case preparation and the time spent in court until the case was continued. Cases not continued were measured by the same criteria. The different levels of attorney effort, that for cases not continued and those that were, were the time and cost attributable to continuances. Attorney effort was self-reported from logs maintained for 6 to 8 weeks in 1984. Costs were agency labor costs in fiscal year 1983-1984, distributed proportionate to the attorney effort required to process a case at a specific court hearing. Interviews were conducted with 196 witnesses in three jurisdictions to estimate the expenses related to court appearances in the areas of employment, transportation, food, and special arrangements. Continuances added 12-24 percent more work to each prosecution or public defender agency. This increase translated into additional labor costs ranging from $78,000 to $1.1 million, depending on the agency, salary differentials, and court procedures. This report does not determine an acceptable continuance rate. Alternative models for adjudication studies are discussed. Tabular data, figures, and 30 selected readings.