Senate Journal: Page 67: Tuesday, January 10, 1995

         I WISH I COULD SAY THAT THIS MOTHERS DIFFICULTY IN GETTING A TRIAL
    IS UNUSUAL -- BUT I CANNOT.  THE NUMBER OF CRIMINAL AND DOMESTIC ABUSE
    CASES HAVE THE DISTRICT COURT CALENDAR SO OVERWHELMED THAT EVERYTHING
    ELSE IS BEING SET FOR HEARING FURTHER AND FURTHER IN THE FUTURE.

         I SUGGEST THAT THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES FOR CIVIL CASES TO GET
    THROUGH THE SYSTEM MAY DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM USING THE COURTS TO
    RESOLVE THEIR DISPUTES AND FORCE THEM TO ACCEPT RESULTS OR SETTLEMENTS
    THEY OTHERWISE WOULD NOT ACCEPT IF THEY COULD GET A REASONABLY PROMPT
    HEARING.

         YOU MAY BE WONDERING HOW WE ARE KEEPING UP TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
    ARE.  OUR JUDGES AND STAFF ARE MOVING MORE CASES FASTER THAN EVER.  ON
    THE AVERAGE, TODAYS DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISPOSES OF 36 PERCENT MORE
    CASES THAN IN 1984.  AT THE SAME TIME, THE NUMBER OF DISPOSITIONS PER
    DISTRICT ASSOCIATE JUDGE MUSHROOMED 86 PERCENT. PARENTHETICALLY, THE
    NUMBER OF MATTERS HEARD BY EACH PART-TIME MAGISTRATE JUMPED 47 PERCENT.

         THE MAJOR INCREASES IN THE BUSINESS OF THE COURTS HAVE HAD A
    DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME ALLOTTED TO EACH CASE.  EFFICIENCY
    MEASURES AND AGGRESSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT CAN ONLY GO SO FAR, BECAUSE EVEN
    THE MOST PRODUCTIVE JUDGE CAN ONLY CAREFULLY DECIDE SO MANY CASES EACH
    DAY.  THERE COMES A POINT WHERE EITHER QUALITY IS DIMINISHED OR
    PRODUCTIVITY DROPS.

         A MORE IMPORTANT CONCERN, IN ADDITION TO THE NUMBERS OF CASES
    FLOWING THROUGH THE SYSTEM, IS THE QUALITY OF SERVICE.  UNDER THE
    CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU NEED TO ASK IF YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE GETTING THE
    JUSTICE SYSTEM THEY NEED, THE JUSTICE SYSTEM THEY EXPECT, THE JUSTICE
    SYSTEM THEY DESERVE.  I WOULD SUGGEST THAT OUR JUDGES PRESENTLY MUST
    TAKE AN APPROACH ANALOGOUS TO A COMBAT SURGEON, WHOSE MAIN ROLE IS TO
    ADDRESS LIFE THREATENING ISSUES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT TIME FOR
    CONCERN ABOUT SCARS OR THE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA OF THE WOUNDED.

         THE PEOPLE OF IOWA DESERVE BETTER.

         TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF JUSTICE WE NEED MORE RESOURCES.
    TO BE MORE SPECIFIC WE NEED:

         --   MORE DISTRICT COURT JUDGES;

         --   MORE DISTRICT ASSOCIATE JUDGES;

         --   MORE JUVENILE COURT OFFICERS; AND

         --   MORE HELP IN THE CLERK OF COURT OFFICES TO HANDLE     THE
    PAPERWORK.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1995 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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