Rural Courts the Effect of Space and Distance on the Administration of Justice
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/ Rural Courts The Effect of Space and Distance on the Administration of Justice A publication of the National Center for State Courts 1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 200 Denver, Colorado 80203 Prepared by E. Keith Stott, Jr. Theodore J. Fetter Laura L. Crites Publication No. ROO32 July 1977 11 Copyright 1977 National Center for State Courts Cover photo by John Eastcott (Amwest Picture Agency,Denver, Colorado).Text illustrations supplied by Amwest Picture Agency include photographs by Gunnar Braten (pp. vi, xvi), Svat Macha (pp. xiv, xviii, 8, 12,22,24,32,52,55,60,80), Robea Pitzer (p. 17), and Horst Schafer (p. xii). Other photographs were supplied by the National Clearinghouse for Criminal Justice Planning and Architecture (p. 40) and Elizabeth Scott Anderson (pp. x, 65, 68, 73, 75, 77). This publication was supported by Grant 76-DF-08-007 awarded to the National Center for State Courts by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice through the Governor’s Planning Committee on Criminal Adminis- tration of the State of Wyoming. Additional financial support was provided by The EdnaMcConnell Clark Foundation. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are. those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Clark Foundation or the National Center for State Courts. ... 111 National Center for State Courts The National Center for State Courts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the modernization of court operations and the improvement of justice at the state and local level throughout the country. It functions as an extension of the state court systems, working for them at their direction and providing for them an effective voice in matters of national importance. In carrying out its purpose, the National Center acts as a focal point for state judicial reform, serves as a catalyst for setting and implementing standards of fair and expeditious judicial administration, and finds and disseminates answers to the problems of state judicial systems. In sum, the National Center provides the means for reinvesting in all states the profits gained from judicial dvances in any state. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Edward E. Pringle, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Colorado, President C. William O’Neill, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Ohio, Vice President Sylvia Bacon, Associate Judge, Superior Court, District of Columbia Roland J. Faricy, Judge, Ramsey County Municipal Court, St. Paul, Minnesota James A. Finch, Jr., Justice, Supreme Court of Missouri M. Michael Gordon, Judge, Municipal Court of Houston, Texas Robert H. Hall, Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia Lawrence W. I’ Anson, Chief Justice, Virginia Supreme Court E. Leo Milonas, Supervising Judge, Criminal Court of the City of New York William S. Richardson, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Hawaii Joseph R. Weisberger, Presiding Justice, Superior Court of Rhode Island Robert A. Wenke, Judge, Superior Court, Los Angeles, California Alice L. O’Donnell, Federal Judicial Center, Washington, D.C., Secretary- Treasurer William J. Conner, National Center for State Courts, Assistant Secretary- Treasurer John S. Clark, Esq.., Petoskey ,’ Michigan, Chairman, Advisory Council Lyman M. Tondel, Jr., Esq., New York, New York, Vice Chairman, Pdvisory Council Nathan S. Heffernan, Justice, Wisconsin Supreme Court, Chairman, Council of State Court Representatives iv STAFF Edward B. McConnell, Director, Denver, Colorado Arne L. Schoeller, Deputy Director, Washington, D.C. William J. Conner, Associate Director for Administration, Denver, Colorado Barry Mahoney, Associate Director for Programs, Denver, Colorado Alexander B. Aikman, Director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Williamsburg, Virginia Charles D. Cole, Director, Southeastern Regional Office, Atlanta, Georgia Samuel D. Conti, Director, Northeastern Regional Office, Boston, Massachusetts Grant Davis, Director, South Central Regional Office, Norman, Oklahoma Francis L. Bremson, Director, North Central Regional Office, St. Paul, Minnesota Larry L. Sipes, Director, Western Regional Office, San Francisco, California V / Council of State Court Representatives Alabama Louisii : Oregon C. C. Torben. Jr. Pascal F. Calogero. Jr. Loren D. Hick, Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Justice. Supreme Coun Stare Coun Administrator Alaska Maine Pennsylvania Roger G. Connor Elizabeth D. Belshaw Samuel J. Robens Justice. Supreme Coun State Coun Administrator Jumce. Supreme Coun Arizona Maryland Rhode Island Frank X. Cordon. Jr. William H. Adkins I1 Walter J. Kane Jurtice. Supreme Coun Slate Court Administratoi Coun Administrator Arkansas Mwschwtts South Carolina C. R. Huie. ExecutiveSecretary Roben M. Bonin J. Woodrow Lewis Judicial Department. Supreme Chief Justice. Superior Court Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Coun Michigan South Dakota California John P Mayer Roger L. Wollman Lknald R. Wright A\\ociate Admlni~trdtor Justice. Supreme Coun Chief Justice (Ret.). Supreme Court Minnesota Colorado Laurence C. Harmon Tenncssee Harry 0. Lawson State Coun Administrator Paul R. Summers State Coun Administrator Executive Secretary, Supreme Mississippi Coun Connecticut R. P. Sugg John P. Cotter Jurtice. Supreme Coun Texas Justice. Supreme Coun Thomas M. Reavley Missouri Jutice, Supreme Coun Delaware J P Morean Daniel L. Herrmann Judge. Supreme Coun Utah Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Thornley K. Swan Montana Chief Judge, Utah Judicial District of Columbia Daniel 1. Shea Council Theodore R. Newman. Jr. Jutice. Supreme Coun Chief Judge. Coun of Appeals Vermont Nebraska Alben W. Barney. Jr. Florida Paul W. White Chlef Justice. Supreme Coun Anhur J. England. Jr Chief Ju4ce. Supreme Coun Ju\tice. Supreme Coun Virginia Nevada Albenis S. Harrison. Jr. Howard W. Babcock Georgia Juwce. Supreme Coun Judge. District Coun Julian Webb Judge. Coun of Appeal\ Washington New Hampshire Orris L. Hamilton John W. King Hawaii Justice. Supreme Coun Juilice. Superior Coun Tom T. Okuda. Director Administrative Service\ of the West Virginia New Jersey, District Courts Fred H. Captan Richard J. Hughes Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Idaho Charles R. Donaldson New Mexico Wisconsin Justice. Supreme Coun John B. McManur. Jr. Nathan S. Heffernan Chief Justice, Supreme Court Jmtice. Supreme Court Illinois New ork Joseph Goldenhersh Y Wyoming H. Richard J. Banlett Justice. Supreme Coun Rodney M. Guthrie State Administrative Judge Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Indiana North Carolina Richard M. Givan American Samoa Ben M. Montague. Director Chief Justice. Supreme Court K. Wiliiam O’Connor Administrative Office of the Chief Justice. High Coun couns Iowa Gum W. W. Reynoldson North Dakota Joquin C. Perez Justice. Supreme Court William L. Paulson Chief Judge (Ret.). Island Coun Justice. Supreme Coun Kansas David Prager Ohio Pberto Rim C. William O’Neill Justice. Supreme Coun Jose Trias Monge Chief Justice. Supreme Court Chief Justice. Supreme Coun Kentucky Oklahoma virgin Islands James S. Chenault B. Don Barnes Eileen R. Petasen Judge. 25th Judicial District Justice. Supreme Coun Judge, Territorial Coun ix E . Rural Prosecution and Defense ...................................................................... 102 F . Rural Legal Assistance ............................................................................... 103 G . Justices of the Peace-Nonlawyer Judges ........................................................ 104 H . Court-Related Social Services ....................................................................... 106 I . Intergovernmental Relations .......................................................................... 107 J . Indian Courts and Legal Services ................................................................... 107 K . The Courts in Four Great Plains States ........................................................... 108 Tables and Figures Tables 1 . Density of Urban and Rural Territory-1970 ...................................................... 2 2 . Agricultural Employment-I97 1 ..................................................................... 2 3 . Changes in Rural Employment in the United States by Industry ............................... 3 4 . Comparative Populations of Four States ............................................................ 9 5 . Comparative County Populations of Four States ................................................... 10 6 . Judicial Districts or Circuits in Four States ......................................................... 10 7 . Percentage of Time Attorney Present in Misdemeanor Courts ............................... 20 8 . Judicial Apportionment Over Distance .............................................................. 34 9 . Estimated Quality of Relations between Rural Courts and other Government Agencies ... 63 10 . Sources of Pressure for the Rapid Processing of Misdemeanor Cases ......................... 63 Figures 1 . Distribution of Full- and Part-Time Prosecutors-1973 ............................................ 19 2 . Regional Approaches to Court Facilities .............................................................. 43 .. Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures .................................................................................... ix Preface ............................................................................................................ xi Introduction ..................................................................................................... xv 1 . The Rural Environment