Judicial Independence, Public Confidence in Courts, and State-Federal Cooperation in the Midwest: A Research Report on the Midwest Regional Conference on State-Federal Judicial Relationships

• NCJ Number: 182355
• Author(s): Kevin M. Esterling
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 88 pages
• Grant Number(s): SJI-97-20J-E-021
• Sponsoring Agency: State Justice Institute
• Corporate Author: American Judicature Soc
• Sale Source: American Judicature Soc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report focuses on ways that State and Federal courts can work together to strengthen the public’s confidence in the judiciary to preserve judicial independence and a truly co-equal third branch of government, based on the American Judicature Society’s Midwest Conference on State-Federal Judicial Relationships, held in October 1997.

Abstract

The conference participants’ main recommendation was that State and Federal courts in the Midwest work cooperatively to educate the public about the role and functions of courts in the government. They expressed concern that the public has an incomplete understanding of what courts do, how the court systems operate, and the differences between State and Federal courts. The report presents findings of a survey of midwestern judges conducted before the conference, discusses the meaning of judicial independence in democratic government, and identifies the pressures that democratic politics and public opinion place on the independent functioning of courts. The final actions outline strategies for reaching out to the public and improving administrative cooperation and case coordination and present the small-group reports and recommendations from the conference. Figures; endnotes; and appended annotated bibliography, conference agenda, and related materials