Administrative Office of the Courts Survey:
Creating New Trial Courts
1. In your state, which entity determines whether a new court should be created? (Please check only one)
___ Legislature
___ Administrative Office of the Courts
___ Supreme Court
___ Governor
___ Other (please specify)
2A. How often is a determination to create a new court made? (Please check only one)
___ Each legislative session
___ Each fiscal year
___ Other (please specify)
B. What type of data/research products are used by the decision making entities to evaluate the need for new trial courts? (Please check all that apply)
___ Surveys of other states
___ State case activity data
___ Formal research study utilizing weighted caseload(1) or other statistical techniques
___ Other (please specify)
C. Which entities provide that data? (Please check all that apply)
___ Administrative Office of the Courts
___ Outside consultant
___ Legislative research staff
___ Local court staff
___ Other (please specify)
3. What methods/factors are used to determine if a need exists for new trial courts? (Please check all that apply)
____ (a) number of cases filed
____ (b) number of cases filed per judge
____ (c) number of active pending cases (i.e., case backlogs)
____ (d) number of active pending cases per judge
____ (e) number of cases disposed
____ (f) number of cases disposed per judge
____ (g) case types (e.g. capital murder, traffic, mass tort, divorce)
____ (h) case types per judge
____ (i) number of jury trials
____ (j) number of jury trials per judge
____ (k) weighted caseload indicators
____ (l) case processing time (time between filing and disposition)
____ (m) caseload growth
____ (n) judges' travel time
____ (o) use of retired/senior judges
____ (p) number of attorneys
____ (q) population size
____ (r) population growth
____ (s) population density
____ (t) economic conditions (e.g. regional unemployment rates)
____ (u) other (please specify)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(1=most important, 5=least important)
1._____________________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________________
3._____________________________________________________________
4._____________________________________________________________
5._____________________________________________________________
___ Yes
___ No
(If Yes, please include a copy of the written policies)
Please attach any other pertinent information. Thank you very much for your time.
Filled out by:_______________________________________________ (please print your name)
Title: _____________________________________________________
State:_____________________________________________________
PLEASE RETURN BY JULY 2, 1999 TO:
ANISHAH CUMBER
OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION
P.O. BOX 12066
AUSTIN, TX 78711
FAX: (512) 936-2423
1. The National Center for State Courts and State Justice Institute define weighted caseload as a technique for "determining how much time is required to process a given court's caseload from filing to disposition" in their publication, Assessing the Need for Judges and Court Support Staff (19).