BY CONSTRUCTING SOCIAL INDICATORS ON TRIAL COURT PERFORMANCE, THE STUDY WAS ABLE TO DESCRIBE AND DOCUMENT THE ACTIONS OF THE COURTS UNDER CONTEMPORARY METHODS OF FINANCING AND JUDICIAL SELECTION, AND IT COULD PREDICT THE CHANGES THAT WOULD BE CAUSED BY A CHANGE FROM STATEWIDE DISTRICT COURT FINANCING AND JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT. WHILE THE STUDY INVOLVED PRIMARILY THE LIMITED JURISDICTION COURTS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, INSIGHTS MAY BE GAINED BY POLICYMAKERS IN OTHER AREAS. DATA USED IN THE FORMULATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WERE COMPILED FROM VARIOUS STATE AGENCIES. THESE DATA INCLUDE THE AVERAGE FINE AND COST ASSESSED BY COURTS IN THE 10 MOST FREQUENTLY COMMITTED MOVING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, THE COST OF OPERATING THESE COURTS, AND THE REVENUE THAT THE COURTS GENERATED. WITH EVIDENCE OF PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES ACROSS COURTS, A GENERAL MODEL OF JUDICAL ADMINISTRATION WAS DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE COURT PERFORMANCE. MULTIPLE REGRESSION COEFFICIENTS ASSOCIATED WITH JUDGE SELECTION SUGGEST THAT COURTS STAFFED BY APPOINTED JUDGES OPERATED AT LOWER AVERAGE EXPENDITURES-PER-CASE LEVELS, ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE TENDENCY FOR DEFENDANTS TO PLEAD GUILTY IN RESPONSE TO THE LENIENT ASSESSMENTS OF THE APPOINTED JUDGES. THE RESOURCES REQUIRED TO PROCESS SUCH CASES ARE MINIMIZED BY THE DEFENDANTS' PLEADINGS. ALTERNATIVELY, THE SAVINGS OF THE COURTS MAY RESULT FROM THE MANAGERIAL SKILLS OF THE APPOINTED JUDGES. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF NET REVENUES-PER-CASE, THE INTRODUCTION OF EXPENDITURE-SAVING TECHNOLOGY WOULD PAY FOR ITSELF. INTERPRETATIONS OF FINDINGS, TABULAR DATA, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)