Last week's release of two of the National Center for State Courts' most popular annual publications --
Examining the Work of the State Courts and State Court Caseload Statistics -- delivers more than the most up-to-date analysis of caseload trends in the state courts. The two publications, produced every year by the Court Statistics Project in conjunction with the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Conference of State Court Administrators, now include added features that make the publications more accessible. Taking advantage of navigation and search functionality provided by the Web, the interactive versions of both publications allow users to:
- Download the data represented in tables, charts, and graphs
- Navigate to related reference documents on the Web.
Linked icons found throughout the text take readers to more in-depth information, downloads of information graphics, Web sites with related information, and data spreadsheets. The two publications are available for download in a PDF format via a link on the
NCSC Web site's home page.
"Both volumes will continue to provide the most comprehensive, up-to-date information regarding the nation's state courts," says Richard Schauffler, director of NCSC Research Services. "Only the presentation of the information has changed to make it more accessible for our readers. The new Web-based publications represent another leap forward in the presentation of this information."
The publications are a product of the Court Statistics Project, which has collected and analyzed data relating to the work of our nation's state courts since its inception in 1975. Included in this year's findings:
- Nearly 100 million cases were filed in state trial courts in 2004
- The greatest increases in caseloads from 1995 to 2004 are seen in limited jurisdiction civil cases (+19 percent) and limited jurisdiction domestic relations caseloads (+16 percent)
- Reopened and reactivated cases comprise a large proportion of the juvenile and domestic relations caseloads, and are reported here for the first time.
The National Center for State Courts, founded in 1971 by Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice and provides leadership, research, technology, education, and training to the state courts. The National Center is headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado.
