PREPARED FOR TRANSMITTAL TO THE SUPREME COURT OF IOWA BY THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, THIS ANNUAL REPORT DESCRIBES IN NARRATIVE AND STATISTICAL FORM THE REGULAR CASELOAD, AS WELL AS SPECIAL PROJECTS, OF THE COURTS WHICH COMPRISE THE STATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FEDERAL FUNDING, A STUDY WAS COMMISSIONED FROM A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR ON CURRENT AND PROJECTED COURT RELATED EXPENDITURES. THE SUPREME COURT COMPLETED TWO MAJOR STUDIES (COST OF LITIGATION STUDY AND THE MEDIA IN THE COURTROOM STUDY). COORDINATED JUDICIAL PLANNING WAS ALSO DEVELOPED BY A NINE-MEMBER JUDICIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE, APPOINTED BY THE IOWA SUPREME COURT, TO PREPARE A JUDICIAL ACTION PLAN AND ESTABLISH PRIORITIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE IOWA JUDICIAL SYSTEM. CASE DISPOSITIONS ARE QUANTIFIED FOR THE VARIOUS COMPONENT COURTS, AND A FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE IS GIVEN FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1980. SECTION TWO, DEVOTED TO THE UNIFIED TRIAL COURT, KNOWN AS THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT, DESCRIBES IN NARRATIVE FORM THE ACTIVITIES OF THE MAGISTRATES OF THE COURT, INCLUDING CASELOADS AND DISPOSITIONS. THE ANALYSIS OF STATISTICS THAT FOLLOWS RELATES TO THE DISPOSITIONS OF REGULAR CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES, DISTRICT JUDGES' AND OTHER JUDGES' ACTIVITIES, AND PENDING REGULAR CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES. THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES ANALYZED IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT INCLUDE: COMPARISON OF PROBATE MATTERS OPENED, 1978 AND 1979; JUVENILE MATTERS, ACTIVITY DURING 1979 OF DISTRICT ASSOCIATE JUDGES AND REGULAR FULL-TME JUDICIAL MAGISTRATES; PART-TIME MAGISTRATES AND SUBSTITUTE FULL-TIME JUDICIAL MAGISTRATES; DISTRICT COURT CLERKS; SUMMARY OF TRIAL COURT STATISTICS. TABLES AND CHARTS ARE PROVIDED, BOTH IN THE TEXT AND IN APPENDIXES.