NCJ Number
41764
Date Published
1973
Length
159 pages
Annotation
IN FEBRUARY 1971, THE MANHATTAN BRANCH OF THE NEW YORK CITY CRIMINAL COURT UNDERWENT A MAJOR INTERNAL REORGANIZATION.
Abstract
THE FORMER SYSTEM OF SPECIALIZED COURTROOMS, OR 'PARTS', WAS REPLACED WITH TWO NEW SYSTEMS - AN EXPERIMENTAL MASTER CALENDAR (OR 'MASTER ALL-PURPOSE' OR 'MAP') COMPLEX, AND A SYSTEM OF 'ALL-PURPOSE PARTS.' THIS REPORT COMPARES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE TWO ALTERNATIVE MODES OF COURT OPERATIONS DURING THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY THROUGH MAY 1972. THE EVALUATION IS BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF A LARGE NUMBER OF MEASURES OF COURT PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF JUSTICE IN THE COURT, THE EFFICIENCY WITH WHICH CASES ARE PROCESSED, BURDENS PLACED ON PARTICIPANTS IN COURT ACTIONS, AND OTHER PERIPHERAL CRITERIA. NO MAJOR DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TWO SYSTEMS. MAP'S RELATIVE ADVANTAGES STEMMED PRIMARILY FROM THE ADDED NUMBER OF STAFF AT ALL LEVELS WHICH ENABLED ATTORNEYS TO DEVOTE MORE TIME AND ATTENTION TO EACH CASE AND MADE IT POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A MODERATE SAVING OF WASTED COURTROOM TIME IN THE 'CALENDAR PART.' MAP'S RELATIVE DISADVANTAGES WERE DUE PRIMARILY TO A FAILURE TO EFFECTIVELY COORDINATE THE MANY PIECES OF THE COMPLEX. ON THE BASIS OF THESE FINDINGS, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT MAP, AS OPERATED, HAD NOT ACHIEVED ITS GOALS AND SHOULD, AT A MINIMUM, BE SUBSTANTIALLY MODIFIED. BASED IN PART ON THESE FINDINGS, THE COURT'S ADMINISTRATION CONCLUDED THAT THE MASTER CALENDAR SYSTEM WAS NOT PERFORMING AS EFFECTIVELY AS THE ALL-PURPOSE PART SYSTEM AND CONVERTED THE RESOURCES WHICH HAD BEEN DEVOTED TO THE FORMER INTO ADDITIONAL ALL-PURPOSE PARTS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE DETAILED STUDY DATA AND DATA COLLECTION FORMS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...ELW