NCJ Number
55585
Date Published
1979
Length
93 pages
Annotation
THIS SECOND 'CASELOAD SUMMARY REPORT' OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE STATE-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF THE WORK OF GEORGIA'S FOUR PRINCIPAL TRIAL COURTS FOR 1977.
Abstract
JUDICIAL CASELOAD AND WORKLOAD ARE COMPARED USING THE WEIGHTED CASELOAD CONCEPT. A SUMMARY OF CASELOAD BY CASE TYPE EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP OF CASE TYPES TO COURTS, FILINGS, DISPOSITIONS, GROWTH OR INCREASE IN CASELOAD BY TYPE, AND DISPOSITION RATES AND ACCUMULATION OF OPEN CASES. A SUMMARY OF CASELOAD BY COURT CONSIDERS DISTRIBUTION OF COURTS, FILINGS, DISPOSITIONS, AND GROWTH OR INCREASE IN CASELOAD BY COURT AND ACCUMULATION OF OPEN CASES. IN FISCAL YEAR 1977, THERE WERE MORE THAN 670,000 CASES FILED IN GEORGIA'S 4 PRINCIPAL TRIAL COURTS, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE IN FILINGS OF 2.4 PERCENT OVER FISCAL YEAR 1976. THE LARGEST PORTION OF INCREASE WAS TRAFFIC CASES. THE STATE COURTS CONTINUE TO BEAR THE GREATEST BURDEN OF CASELOAD IN TERMS OF CASE VOLUME. THE WEIGHTED CASELOAD CONCEPT, HOWEVER, SHOWS THE SUPERIOR COURTS HANDLE A MUCH HEAVIER BURDEN IN TERMS OF TIME NECESSARY TO PROCESS THEIR CASELOAD. THIS IS PARTIALLY A RESULT OF THE DIFFERENT CASE TYPES THAT CONSTITUTE THE WORKLOAD OF EACH COURT. TRAFFIC CASES MAKE UP A LARGE PORTION OF STATE COURT CASE VOLUME AND GENERALLY REQUIRE LESS TIME TO PROCESS THAN DOMESTIC RELATIONS, FELONIES, AND GENERAL CIVIL CASES, WHICH ARE A LARGE PORTION OF THE SUPERIOR COURT CASELOAD. STATEWIDE DISPOSITIONS WERE 93 PERCENT OF FILINGS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1977. THE DISPOSITIONS RATE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT REMAINED ALMOST CONSTANT FROM 1976 THROUGH 1977, BUT THE DISPOSITION RATE OF THE STATE COURT INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER FISCAL YEAR 1976, EXCEEDING THE INCREASE IN FILINGS FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT, THERE WAS A LARGE INCREASE IN FELONY (21.5 PERCENT) AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS (8.9 PERCENT) FILINGS. DISPOSITIONS OF ALL TYPES OF CASES IN STATE COURT CLOSELY PARALLELED OR OUTNUMBERED THE RESPECTIVE FILINGS, AND THE DISPOSITION RATE OF THE PROBATE COURTS WHICH HEAR TRAFFIC CASES HAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY SINCE FISCAL YEAR 1976. THE APPENDIXES REPORT ON REPORTING METHODOLOGY, OUTLINE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF GEORGIA, WEIGHTED CASELOAD CONCEPT AND PROCEDURE, AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TABLES. (RCB)