EFFECT OF CASE WEIGHTS ON PERCEIVED COURT WORKLAOD

• NCJ Number: 42210
• Journal: Justice System Journal Volume: 2/3 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 270-282
• Author(s): D P Doane
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Institute for Court Management
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE ARTICLE IS CONCERNED WITH THE CASE WEIGHTING TECHNIQUE, WHICH IS EMPLOYED TO ADJUST CASE VOLUMES TO REFLECT THE DIFFERING TIME OR RESOURCE DEMANDS IMPOSED BY VARIOUS TYPES OF CASES.

Abstract

FOLLOWING AN EXPLANATION OF CASE WEIGHTS AND THEIR USES, CASE WEIGHTS ARE EXPERIMENTALLY APPLIED TO MICHIGAN STATE CIRCUIT COURT CASE DISPOSITION STATISTICS FOR THE YEARS 1971-73. HYPOTHESES ARE FORMULATED ABOUT THE TYPES OF CIRCUITS WHICH WILL TEND TO RISE OR DECLINE IN PERCEIVED WORKLOAD WHEN WEIGHTED CASE DISPOSITIONS ARE CALCULATED, KEEPING STATE TOTALS CONSTANT. IT IS FOUND THAT SMALLER, LOW-WORKLOAD CIRCUITS APPEAR MORE 'PRODUCTIVE' WHEN CASE WEIGHTS ARE APPLIED. LARGER, HIGH-WORKLOAD CIRCUITS GENERALLY REMAIN UNCHANGED OR HAVE SLIGHT REDUCTIONS IN PERCEIVED CASE DISPOSITIONS. THUS, CASE WEIGHTS ARE SEEN AS A SYSTEMATIC REDISTRIBUTIVE MECHANISM WHICH TENDS TO EQUALIZE PERCEIVED PER-JUDGE CASELOADS AMONG CIRCUITS, ALTHOUGH SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION REMAINS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...KAP