Senate Journal: Page 49: Wednesday, January 10, 1996

         Now, Id like to journey back a bit.

         Last year in my State of the Judiciary message, I reported that the
    courts were struggling under the weight of a crushing caseload. Case
    filings in all categories were at record levels. I talked with you about
    our most troubling cases, juvenile, domestic abuse and criminal, which
    were consuming most of our court resources. We faced the strong
    possibility that all of our resources would eventually be used for
    criminal matters at the expense of civil cases. More resources,
    particularly more judges, were needed to help us confront this crisis.

         Thank you, for your generous response. The additional resources you
    provided, although not our full request, have somewhat eased the
    pressure.

         It would be easy for us to respond to this help by leaning back,
    and breathing a sigh of relief. But that would be a mistake because the
    problems I described last year are still very much with us.

         Keeping up with the rising tide of cases remains our biggest
    challenge. More than one-half million cases, not including simple
    traffic violations, were filed last year in this state. Thats more than
    one case every minute. In other words, during the time that Im visiting
    with you this morning, thirty new cases will be filed.

         Criminal, domestic abuse and juvenile cases continue to crowd our
    dockets and consume our time the most.

         Please listen to the growth last year in the number of these cases:
         Indictable criminal cases, the most serious crimes, jumped 10%.
         Simple misdemeanor cases, a category in which we always see
    high-volume, increased 13%.
         Juvenile cases grew 6%.
         And, domestic abuse cases continue to pour in at a frenzied rate;
    they shot up 31%.

         Theres no end in sight to these alarming trends. Because of time
    constraints, I wont go into more detail about the caseload now. But I
    ask that you carefully review the information that is attached to these
    remarks.

         You must bear in mind that new laws and mandates inevitably
    increase the pressure. Tougher criminal penalties add to the demands on
    our courts. New civil remedies add to the demands on our courts. Shorter
    time frames for hearings add to the demands on our courts. Each one adds
    to the demands placed on the courts, which in turn adds to the need for
    more resources. Its like trying to manufacture a newly designed car
    without retooling the factory.

         How does all of this look to the hundreds of Iowans coming to court
    each day?

         Sensational trials, such as that of O.J. Simpson, grab front-page
    headlines and public attention. But while they serve in some ways to
    educate the public about court procedures, they bear little resemblance
    to typical cases that represent the courts routine business.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 2)

© 1996 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

Last update: Mon Jan 15 12:25:09 CST 1996
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