NCJ Number
164027
Date Published
1996
Length
24 pages
Annotation
The felony court system in Orleans Parish, La., the State's only court with exclusively criminal jurisdiction, was examined with respect to case characteristics, case processing, judges' compliance with American Bar Association time standards for case processing, and the size and time since initiation of each judge's active pending caseload.
Abstract
The analysis used data from a random sample of 25 percent of the felony cases closed during 1994 and 1995. The analysis revealed that theft cases accounted for 23 percent of the court's docket, while drug cases accounted for 37 percent. Sixty percent of the defendants were not released from custody prior to trial. Approximately 17 percent of those release failed to appear for court and were at large for more than 3 months at some time during the case processing. Seventy-two percent of the felony defendants were represented by the public defender's office. Judge and jury trials accounted for only 11 percent of all disposition types. Guilty pleas accounted for 80 percent of all dispositions. Felony cases took 23 percent longer to process in 1995 than in 1985. Different sections of the court vary considerably with respect to core performance issues and basic docket management functions. Recommended changes, figures, tables, and footnotes