If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. "r,'"_" , -" .~,- ~ 7 '~~ :;-~ ~-.. ,j National Criminal Justice Reference Service i ---------------~~--------------------------------------------~ r , ,i Prepared for the­ ""I I , Mississippi Judicial Council "f nCJrs This microfiche was produced frQm documents received for inclusion in the NCJRS data base. Since NCJRS cannot exercise control over the physical condition of the documents submitted, fjl, the individual frame quality will vary. The resolution chart on Th~ Mississippi Court Finance Study this frame may be used to evaluate the document quality. I , I Executive Summary 111111.25 '"111.4 II MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU Of STANDARDS-196;>-A Microfilming procedures used to create this fiche comply with i I the standards set forth in 41CFR 101-11.504. i Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author(s) and do not represent the official I position or policies of the U. S. Department of Justice. I \----J Date Filmed Ernest H. Short March, 1980 National Institute of ,Justice I &Associates, Inc. United States Department of Justice 2/12/81 I Washington, 'D. C. 20531 I l i iii Ii 7r o PREFACE The Mississippi Courts Finance Study was conducted by Ernest H. Short & Associates, Inc. under contract with the Mississippi JUdicial Council I with support of funds from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice. The points of view and opinions in the report series are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position THE MISSISSIPPI COURTS FINANCE STUDY or policies of the Mississippi Judicial Councilor the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. PROJECT STAFF Ernest H. Short, Project Director Charles F. Doolittle, Project Manager Alan C. Wells, Lead Research Ass,::,ciate Christina P. Clark, Research Associate EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MISSISSIPPI JUDICIAL COUNCIL Chief Justice Neville Patterson, Chairman Judge Emily Baker, Jackson County Court Representative Stone Barefield, Chairman, JUdiciary "B" Committee Hon. Alvin Binder, Office of the Governor Judge Mayo Grubbs, Executive Director of the Justice Court Officers' Association Prepared for: Judge James Hester, Eighteenth Circuit Court District , Judge Darwin Maples, Nineteen'th Circuit Court District The Mississippi Judicial Council Mrs. Elizabeth Powers, Executive Director of the Mississippi Kidney Foundation Representat.ive John H. Stennis, Vice Chairman, Judiciary "A" Committee I" Chancellor Michael Sullivan, Tenth Chancery Court District l! Dr. Walter Washington, President, Alcorn State University Judge Joseph Wroten, Washington County Court l~ Hon. Raymond Brown, Past-President of the Mississippi State Bar Senator Martin T. Smith, Chairman, JUdiciary Committee II .r,;l 1 Senator John J. Frasier, Vice Chairman, JUdiciary Committee r Ernest H. Short and Associates, Inc. gratefully acknowledges ! the assistance of Mr. Dan M. McDaniel, Director, Mississippi Judicial Council staff. He and members of his staff contribu­ ted substantially to the implementation of the project. The j project staff also wish to acknowledge the important contribu­ by: tion of the members of the Mississippi Judicial Council and Ernest H. Short & Associates, Inc. the large number of other individuals within the Mississippi J ."", judicial system who cooperated with and participated in the Courts Finance Study. March 1980 N C J R S AUG 25 t980 I ACQUiSITIONS. \ I -..I .a_ - -< 7 D. Observations and Recommendations • • . •. 47 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Overview of Revenues and Expenditures 47 2. Fiscal and Personnel Information 47 INTRODUCTION . • . • • . • • • . 1 3. Alternative Funding Approaches A. The Mississippi Courts Finance Study 1 for the Courts • . • . • • . • 49 B. Inter-Relat.ionship of Study Recommendations .• . • . • • • . • . 3 V. YOUirH COURTS CASELOAD AND CASEFLOW ANALYSIS 57 A. Overview of Caseload and II. MISSISSIPPI JUSTICE COURTS • . • • . 6 Caseflow Analysis . 57 A. Overview of Volume I and Volume II B. Observations and Recommendations 58 Report Content . • . 6 B. Summary of Volume I Recommendations •..• 9 VI. CONCLUSION • . • • . • . 63 1. Organization. • . • . • . • 9 2. Judge Qualifications .•.•.. 12 3. Personnel Compensation 14 4. Jurisdiction ....•••. 14 5. Operational Procedures .•. 14 6. Fiscal Management 17 C. Summary of Volume II Recommendations . 17 D. Summary . If • • • •• 20 III. COURT SUPPORT AREAS 23 A. Overv:i.ew of Volume III and Volume V Report Content . • . • • . 23 B. Summary of Volume III Recommendations 24 C. Su~~ary of Volume V Recommendations 26 1. Clerks of Court .••.••. 26 2. Court Reporters ..•...•.•.•. 32 3. Indigent Defense Services ••••••. 34 D. Summary 37 IV. FISCAL ANALYSIS OF THE MISSISSIPPI JUDICIAL SYSTEM • . • • . • . 39 A. Expenditures Analysis . 39 B. AnalY,;:;B\-a of Court-Generated Revenues 42 C. Func~ional Expenditures Analysis . 43 -ii- -i- ~I­ I 7 1 I. INTRODUCTION LIST OF FIGURES A. The Mississippi Courts Finance Study FIGURE 1: Total Projected Expenditures • for Mississippi Courts . • • . • 41 In February of 1979, the Mississippi Judicial Council initiated the Mississippi Courts Finance Study, a pro- FIGURE 2: Projected Percentage Comparisons of State-County Funding • . 42 ject designed to conduct an in-depth examination of l several areas in Mississippi's state judicial system. FIGURE 3: Projected Total Revenue The recommendations emerging from the examination aim Produced by Circuit and County Courts • • . • . • . • • . • 43 toward qualitative progress in the admi.nistration of jus­ tice and the development of more post-effective administra­ tive systems. The Study compiled, organized, and analyzed FIGURE 4: Total of Expenditures by Functions and Court . • . • • • 44 information needed to facilitate" management planning for ~ financial, administrative, and operational purposes, en­ FIGURE 5: Total Functional Expenditures Il~ compassing a broad range of subjects, from specific issues for Chancery, Circuit, County I and Youth Courts • . • • . • . 43 ! of lower court reform to comprehensive questions of total I! system organization and financing. IiII FIGURE 6: Total Functional Expenditures L by Court . • . • . • . • . 45 I[~ A total of six report volumes in addition to this Executive Summary and multiple support data volumes document the re­ • IlII I' FIGURE 7: Total Expenditures by Function 11 sults of the study process. They are: for All Courts •..••.•.... 45 1 { ij It II Volume I: The Mississippi Justice Courts: FIGURE 8: Total Projected Functional 11 • Management and Financial Analysis Expenditures •.•..•.••..•• 45 II J I !1 !i Volume II: A Proposed Magistrate Division of the Circuit Court forthe state of Mississippi III FIGURE 9: Projected Furlctional Expenditures II Ii VolUme III: The Mississippi Jury System: Management by Court . • • . 46 I HI; and Cost Analysis I II Ii Volume IV: Mississippi Courts: Fiscal Analysis ! Projected Expenditures by I,I FIGURE 10: i i Volume V: Mississippi Courts: Organizational and j specific Functional Components • • • • 46 ~ I Management Analysis I: J' !J Volume VI: Mississippi Youth Courts: Caseload and 11I, Caseflow Analysis 1\ I r I [ r t, I I; I In most of the reports, emphasis is placed on financial analy­ t I l!'J sis in the operational area or organizational entity being ~.:, I , I , I I lErnest H. Short and Associates, Inc., a management firm ,I specializing in courts and criminal justice, was selected I by competetive bid process to conduct the study. The origi­ nal full name of the project is the Mississippi Courts Finance, I, -iii- Management, and Personnel Study. I. [" t I' 1.." -------------..-----~-~-~---~----~---.... -----~ 7 l'~·' I ' I studied, and Volume IV: Mississippi Courts: Fiscal Analysis detailed statistical analyses by court type and offense encompasses revenues and expenditures analysis for the state category. jUdicial system in its entirety. The financial analysis in 1 Volume IV is presented by organizational type and programmatic The Mississippi Courts Finance Study was designed to con- area. The remaining volum'!'~s in the report series deal with a tinue with the comprehensive analysis of jUdicial administra­ specific portion or portions of the judicial system, present­ o o tion in Mississippi conducted by a previous major study effort, 2 ing analysis of both operational effectiveness and financial a project producing The Mississippi Courts Master Plan. In efficiency, that multiple volume report, upgrading of the minor judiciary, revision of the Youth Court system, improvement in court clerk Two of the reports (Volume I: The Missis~ippi Justice Courts: organizational structures, improved and expanded indigent de­ Management and Financial Analysis, and Volume II: A Proposed fense services, and revision in ~tate/local financial responsi­ Magistrate Division of the Cire ait Court for the State of bility for judicial admInistration were among the areas Mississippi) present alternative organizational structures identified as high priority for -the' improvement of the quality for Mississippi's lower court system with financial and or­ of judicial administration in Mississippi. The Mississippi ganizational analysis of present and alternative systems. Courts Finance Study encompasses these and selected other Lower court reform was viewed as a priority area of study for subjects, representing a major effort coordinated by the the Mississippi Courts Finance Study, as evidenced by the high­ Mississippi Judicial