IT IS DIRECTLY CONCERNED WITH INFORMATION SYSTEMS WHICH SUPPORT TRIAL (CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL) COURTS, SUPPORT CASEFLOW MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS OTHER COURT OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT, AND ARE OPERATIONAL IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS. THIS INITIAL PHASE I REPORT REFLECTS THE RESULTS OF TWO PARALLEL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE BEEN UNDERWAY. THE FIRST HAS INVOLVED GATHERING GENERAL AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS. THE SECOND ACTIVITY WAS AN INTENSIVE SEARCH FOR AND SURVEY OF EXISTING COURT INFORMATION SYSTEM PROJECTS TO DEVELOP A UNIVERSE OF COURT PROJECTS APPROPRIATE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE GENERAL FINDINGS OF THESE TWO ACTIVITIES ARE PRESENTED ALONG WITH A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURT INFORMATION SYSTEM AREA, A DISCUSSION OF EXISTING STANDARDS FOR COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, A LISTING OF THE CURRENT 'UNIVERSE' OF COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, A REPORT ON THE SEARCH FOR PAST EVALUATION EFFORTS IN THIS AREA, AND A DISCUSSION OF THE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES CONCERNED WITH THE PLANNING, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS LISTINGS OF THOSE PERSONS WITH WHOM EITHER IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS OF COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS' ISSUES WERE HELD OR WHO PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN THIS REPORT, AS WELL AS A LISTING OF THOSE OFFICIALS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED BY TELEPHONE. A 10-PAGE SOURCE BIBLIOGRAPHY COVERING COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS IS ALSO INCLUDED. FOR THE OTHER VOLUMES IN THIS FIVE-PART REPORT, SEE NCJ-37882, 84-86. (AUTHOR ABSTRCT)