Summary of State and Local Justice Initiatives 2000

COURT FUNDING

"The justice system in states across the country has traditionally suffered from a lack of adequate and balanced funding," notes the Roadmap on Funding the Justice System, a 1998 booklet published by the ABA Coalition for Justice and Committee on State Justice Initiatives. Many bars and courts indicated activity in the area of court funding, including the use of judicial impact statements, which assess the effects on the justice system of crime legislation and related measures.

Michigan’s Supreme Court continued to focus on the advancement of court reorganization, issues related to court management and innovations in local intergovernmental relations and communication with the public including striving to make the trial court system more user friendly for families through a constitutional amendment to merge Michigan’s circuit and probate courts and guarantee at least one judge per county to focus on family matters. In another initiative, the Court, together with the Michigan Association of Counties, hosted a series of seminars designed to foster strong working relationships between trial court judges and local funding unit officials. And, to increase legislative and public understanding of the issues involved in court reorganization, the Supreme Court sponsored three panel discussions also televised on statewide cable TV.

The Administration of Justice Committee of the Oklahoma Bar Association is to study and survey the present state judicial system in Oklahoma, its administration and operations, the methods of selection, tenure and removal of judges, and report thereon to the Board of Governors and House of Delegates, with such recommendations as appear desirable to actively support adequate funding to meet the requirements necessary for a modern and efficient Oklahoma Judicial System.

The South Carolina Supreme Court has requested funding from the Governor and the Legislature for Drug Treatment Courts throughout the state.

The Commission on the Future of Vermont’s Justice System was charged with creating a vision for a future Vermont justice system, with a particular focus on "the effectiveness of the present methods for resolving civil disputes and adjudicating criminal charges, the funding and staffing levels in the court system, the provision of adequate and continuing legal services, the public perception of judges, lawyers, and the judicial process, the independence of the judiciary, and the opportunity of the public to contribute to improvement of the justice system."

The plain-language Roadmap, "Funding the Justice System – How Are the Courts Funded?" provides valuable information and specific examples of projects and programs focused on court funding issues. Roadmaps are available through the ABA Office of Justice Initiatives, 312/988-6138, justice@abanet.org.