NCJ Number
141124
Date Published
1992
Length
55 pages
Annotation
This report provides an overview of Tennessee's judicial system for fiscal year 1991-92 and detailed caseload information for each type of court.
Abstract
Following a profile of the structure and duties of the Judicial Council, information and statistics are provided on the structures, caseloads, filings, and dispositions of the State Supreme Court, intermediate appellate courts, State trial courts, and courts of limited jurisdiction. The structure of the Executive Secretary's Office of the Tennessee Supreme Court is also described. Data indicate that the appellate courts and trial courts continue to experience a steady increase in caseload filings. Population shifts and increases in drug/alcohol-related cases have created some disparities where judicial resources have had to be assigned or special programs created. The State court system appropriation for fiscal year 1992-93 was approximately $40 million, which constituted less than one- half of a percent of the total State budget. The primary funding source for the court system is the General Fund, which consists mostly of revenue derived from the sales, franchise, excise, and gross receipts taxes. Appropriated funds for the court system amount to approximately 97 percent of the court system budget. The remaining 3 percent of funding is derived from fees collected by the Supreme Court Clerks' offices.