DYNAMICS OF COURTHOUSE JUSTICE

I.          American courthouses vary in size / similar in architecture
    A.        Small vs. large jurisdictions
    B.        Location
    C.        Architectural similarities

II.        Courtrooms structured the same in most, courthouses
    A.                 General structure
        1.                  Judge’s bench
        2.                  Court clerk
        3.                  Court stenographer
        4.                  Jury box
        5.                  Prosecution and defense tables
        6.                  Public section separated from regulars by a rail (bar)
    B.                 Courtroom participants
        1.                  Courtroom regulars
            a.                  Judge
            b.                  Court clerk
            c.                   Court stenographer
            d.                  Bailiff
            e.                  Prosecuting attorneys
            f.                    Defense attorneys
            h.                  Probation officers
            i.                    Bail bondsmen
        2.                  Courtroom irregulars
            a.                  Defendants
            b.                  Witnesses
            c.                   Jury
            d.                  Spectators
    C.                 Management and paperwork are behind the scenes of courtrooms
        1.                  Courts as paperwork bureaucracies
        2.                  Three conflicting court managers
            a.                  Judge
            b.                  Court clerk
            c.                   Court administrator

III.      Dynamics of courthouse justice are similar everywhere
    A
        1.                  Law in action (cooperative) vs. law on the books (adversarial)
        2.                  Assembly line justice
            a.                  Blamed on shortage of judges, prosecutors, attorneys vs. Large number of cases
            b.                  Most cases are straightforward and considered routine (trial Is unnecessary)
    B.                 Members of courtroom workgroup have discretion
        1.                  Discretion lies at the heart of the criminal justice system
        2.                  Discretion has three major subcomponents:
            a.                  legal judgments
            b.                  policy priorities
            c.                   personal philosophies
    C.                 Courtroom workgroup has three primary members
        1.                  Members
            a.                  Judges
            b.                  Prosecuting attorneys
            c.                   Defense attorneys (private or public defenders)
        2.                  Characteristics
            a.                  Mutual interdependence
            b.                  Shared decision making
            c.                   Socialization
            d.                  Normal crimes
            e.                  Rewards and sanctions
            f.                    Variability in personnel can reduce effectiveness

IV.       The Problem of delay is more complex than it seems
    A.                 Delay vs. unnecessary delay
    B.                 Consequences of delay
        1.                  Jeopardizes defendant’s right to a speed trial
        2.                  Hampers society’s need for a speedy conviction
        3.                  Erodes public confidence in the judicial process
    C.                 Assessing the costs of delay 

V.        The law on the books approach to court delay stresses resources and procedures
    A.        Add judges, prosecutors, etc.
    B.        Streamline procedures
    C.        Speedy trial laws
        1.         Federal speedy Trial Law of 1974
        2.         Sixth Amendment right to speedy trial applies to both state and federal courts
        3.                  state vs. federal
        4.                  State laws protect defendants’ rights
        5.                  Federal laws generally protect society’s interests
        6.                  Limits of speedy trial laws
        7.                  Varying impact on case flow
            a.                  Federal laws have proven effective
            b.                  State laws fail to provide resources and monitoring

VI.       The law in action approach to court delay stresses the courtroom workgroup
    A.                 Focuses on courtroom dynamics
        1.                  Improve case scheduling
        2.                  Achieve better coordination among courtroom actors
    B.                 More personnel are not necessarily the solution

VII.     Three concepts in the law in action vs. law in books controversy
    A.                 Excessive caseloads do not always explain delay
    B.                 Discretion gives actors flexibility
    C.                 Courtroom workgroup norms largely determine courtroom speed