NCJ Number
59103
Date Published
1978
Length
111 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF THE 78 NEVADA JUSTICE AND MUNICIPAL COURTS GIVES AN INVENTORY OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES AND LEGAL MATERIALS AND PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR FUTURE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
Abstract
IN DETERMINING THE NEED FOR A PARTICULAR COURT, SEVERAL FACTORS MUST BE CONSIDERED: COMMUNITY LOCATION, SIZE AND NEEDS, CASELOAD OF THE COURT, AND THE PRESENT FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT. THE COURTS STUDIED WERE RANKED EXCELLENT TO INADEQUATE ACCORDING TO CRITERIA OF COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PHYSICAL FACILITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, LARGE URBAN AREAS, SUCH AS LAS VEGAS, REQUIRE LARGER FACILITIES THAN RURAL AREAS WHERE COURT NEEDS CAN BE MET, EVEN FROM A PERSON'S HOME. AN IDEAL COURT WOULD INCLUDE PHYSICAL FACILITIES SUCH AS A JURY BOX, JUDGE'S SECTION, WASHROOM, WITNESS BOX, AND REFERENCE MATERIALS SUCH AS NEVADA REPORTS, NEVADA STATUTE AND CASE DIGEST, MCCORMICK ON EVIDENCE, LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS, AND OTHER MATERIALS, WHICH FEWER THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE NEVADA COURTS HAVE. IN NEVADA, 42 PERCENT OF ALL JUSTICE COURTS ARE IN POOR CONDITION. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE (1) IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF REFERENCE MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO THE COURTS, (2) IMPROVE THE COURTS MARKED 'INADEQUATE' BY PROVIDING BETTER FACILITIES COMMENSURATE WITH THE CASELOAD, (3) IMPROVE THOSE COURTS RATED 'POOR', (4) CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE EIGHT COURTS THAT HAVE NO FACILITY, (5) UPDATE THIS REPORT AND MONITOR FACILITIES. CHARTS AND MAPS COMPLEMENT THE STUDY. AN INVENTORY IS MADE OF EACH LOWER COURT WITH DIVISIONS BY JUDICIAL DISTRICTS. A DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA IN WHICH THE COURT IS FOUND AND AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NEEDS OF THAT AREA ARE GIVEN, ALONG WITH A PHYSICAL INVENTORY AND A LIST OF REFERENCE MATERIALS AVAILABLE. (RFC)