THE LOWER COURTS 

I.          Lower courts are typically referred to as trial courts of limited jurisdiction (TCLJ).

            A.        Approximately 18,000 courts (60% of courts)

            B.        Sixty-one million case filings (two-thirds of all state court filings)

            C.        Jurisdiction

                        1.         preliminary steps in felony cases

                        2.         misdemeanor trials

                        3.         traffic offenses

                        4.         ordinances violations

                        5.         small claims (civil)

II.        TCLJ face a number of serious problems.

A.                 Informal, non-adversary, non-judicial atmosphere

B.                 Inadequate financing

C.                 Inadequate facilities

D.                Law court procedures

E.                 Unbalanced caseloads

III.       Rural courts are different than their urban counterparts.  Rural courts have:

A.                 Lower caseloads

B.                 Fewer resources

C.                 Stress informal mechanisms of social control because of personnel familiarity

1.                  Local customs and interests may prevail over due process

2.                  May be bias against outsiders, minorities, etc.

IV.       TCLJ are collectively referred to as Justice of the Peace Courts in rural areas.

A.                 Have a long history in England and the U.S.

B.                 Most JPs are part-time none-lawyer locals

C.                 Critics doubt whether JP’s deliver justice

D.                Court reformers call for abolition of JP Court

E.                 Appeals are by a new trial (trial de novo) in a higher court

V.        Municipal Courts are the primary TCLJ in urban areas.

            A.        Criticized for assembly-line justice

            B.        Few trials held

            C.        Courtroom work group stresses quick disposition.

D.        Nature of crime and defendant’s prior record are prime considerations in sentencing.

VI.       Some critics suggest that the pretrial process is so costly and inefficient that the process is the punishment (Not all researchers agree).

VII.     TCLJ have made major efforts in recent years to work with the community.

A.                 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs attempt to find informal solutions to minor civil and criminal problems in the community.

B.                 Many jurisdictions are trying a variety of community justice approaches:

1.         Community dispute settlement center use mediation

2.         Community courts attempt to utilize community resources to solve problems.