NCJ Number
133169
Journal
Judges' Journal Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 12-19,64-66
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Rural judges experience both professional and social isolation, because they serve in small communities whose citizens make no distinction between the judge as an individual and the court as an institution.
Abstract
Rural justice systems are small with fewer than 30 people routinely working together. Pressure to avoid conflict within this small group can create ambiguity over roles. Judges find it difficulty to distinguish between responsiveness and bias. They lack the professional support enjoyed by most professionals in high-stress occupations, and the higher standard of behavior expected of their families can strain family relationships. Their families also become their main source of support. In addition, they often work with extremely limited resources and seldom receive accurate feedback on their work performance. Moreover, their decisionmaking is often shaped by a system that offers no support for judicial independence. To address these issues, rural judges should articulate their experiences and the pressures they feel and take extraordinary measures to preserve judicial independence.