NCJ Number
54443
Date Published
1978
Length
88 pages
Annotation
PRESENTED IS A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF DATA GATHERED IN THE JACKSON COUNTY (MO.) CIRCUIT COURT IN 1978 WHICH FOCUSES ON THE EFFECT OF CONTINUANCE POLICY ON CASE DISPOSITION TIME.
Abstract
THE REPORT DATA SOURCES ARE 203 (17 PERCENT) OF THE CRIMINAL CASE FILES FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 1972 TO JULY 1973, 220 (14 PERCENT) OF THE CRIMINAL CASE FILES FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1977, AND INTERVIEW RESPONSES OF 4 JUDGES, 4 COURT ADMINISTRATORS, 1 PROSECUTOR, 2 PUBLIC DEFENDANTS, 1 PRIVATE DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AND 2 POLICE OFFICIALS. THE REPORT BEGINS WITH A DISCUSSION OF SITE SELECTION, DATA COLLECTION, SAMPLING, AND DATA LIMITATIONS. THE MAIN SECTION CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING: CROSS TABULATIONS OF CONTINUANCES, TYPES OF COUNSEL, CRIME CODES, AND DISPOSITIONS; CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF NUMBERS AND DURATIONS OF CONTINUANCES VERSUS TIMES FROM ARREST OR ARRAIGNMENT TO DISPOSITION; INVESTIGATION OF THE DURATION OF DELAYS VERSUS EXCLUDABILITY OR NONEXCLUDABILITY; ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBER AND DURATION OF DELAYS AS A FUNCTION OF CASE AGE; AND AN ANALYSIS OF TIMES TO DISPOSITION WITH AND WITHOUT EXCLUDABLE DELAYS. THE PRIMARY REPORT FINDINGS ARE THAT A POSITIVE CORRELATION EXISTS BETWEEN DISPOSITION TIMES AND BOTH THE NUMBER AND DURATION OF CONTINUANCES, EXCLUDABLE CONTINUANCES CONSUME A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER PORTION OF CASE TIME THAN DO NONEXCLUDABLE CONTINUANCES, AND NO VALID CORRELATION EXISTS BETWEEN CASE AGE AND THE NUMBER AND DURATION OF CONTINUANCES. REMOVAL OF EXCLUDABLE CONTINUANCES FROM OVERALL CASE TIME SEEMS TO REDUCE COUNTABLE CASE TIME BY 15 PERCENT OR LESS. STUDY DATA ARE APPENDED AS WELL AS THE CASE DATA COLLECTION SHEET AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT. (DAG)