E-SJI News

The Oregon Court of Appeals recently completed a workload assessment with support from SJI (SJI-09-T-133); 

with technical assistance provided by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). The workload assessment 

was required to assist the Court with achieving operational efficiencies in response to increasing caseloads, 

additional demands on staff and judicial resources, and budget constraints.

In order to guide the process of developing workload assessment tools and interpretation of the results, an 

advisory committee comprised of Court of Appeals judges and staff was created. The advisory committee 

approved the methodology for the workload assessment, and the timeline for creating and adopting the 

workload model. NCSC consultants employed a 5 phase process to: define the work of judges and staff; 

conduct a self-report time study on work activities; evaluate reported times against court activities; review 

findings in relationship to desired improvements and established benchmarks; and develop a workload 

assessment model based on input from the advisory committee and the workload data. 

Results of the assessment supported the conclusions from an earlier internal review that the Court of Appeals is

chronically underfunded, despite greater need for more resources as measured through caseloads and filings. 

The assessment further acknowledged that more judgeships are required, since the number of judges has 

remained the same since 1977 – while other justice system partners have expanded staffing and administration 

between 1977 and 2004. The assessment also noted the importance of continuing a strong track record of 

technological advancements and reviewing commitments to new initiatives, including enactment of an appellate 

reference judge, two-judge appellate panels, statutory amendments, and expanded use of the voluntary 

certification of Court of Appeals cases for the Supreme Court. 

The Court of Appeals will continue to review the workload model, and communicate the needs of the judiciary 

to the Oregon Legislature as they enter the FY 2012 budget cycle. The final workload assessment report from 

this SJI-funded grant, and more information about Oregon Court of Appeals, is available on their website.

OREGON COURT OF APPEALS 

REEXAMINES JUDICIAL WORKLOAD

Inside

Coconino County, AZ Courts: 

Charting a Course for Success 2

January 2011 Vol. 21, No. 4

Seattle, WA, Municipal Court Evaluates 

Procedures and Services 3

Special Announcements 3, 4
COCONINO COUNTY, ARIZONA COURTS:

CHARTING A COURSE FOR SUCCESS

With SJI support, the Coconino County Courts (based in Flagstaff, Arizona) recently completed a long-range 

strategic plan (SJI-09-T-158), and also validated a survey tool currently being utilized by Coconino County’s 

Pre-Trial Services Agency (SJI-09-T-069). 

Like many courts across the country, Coconino County faced emerging social and economic trends over the 

past decade that challenged taxable incomes and presented greater need for specialized services. These trends 

included a substantial increase in population and diversity, as well as an aging population. In addition, the 

unemployment rate continued to rise; and the percent of individuals in poverty remained higher than the state 

average. 

The strategic planning process included judicial officers, court administrators, and staff, in addition to other 

county justice stakeholders and community agencies. Input from those individuals and organizations external to 

the Courts has proven invaluable to long-range planning, especially as decisions are made regarding 

programming, services, and new initiatives that will require collaboration throughout the county. The Coconino 

County Courts created 5 strategic goal areas: 1) maximizing the efficient flow of information and interaction 

among people in the justice process via use of advanced technology; 2) focus on court structure and 

administration to promote organizational efficiency in the operations of Courts and other justice system 

partners; 3) ensuring all people have quality access to justice in the resolution of disputes; 4) foster active 

partnerships among the Courts, justice institutions, and the community at large; and 5) use of state-of-the-art 

facilities and operations to support the delivery of justice. A copy of the final report is available on the Court’s 

website.

In addition to the new strategic plan, the Coconino County Pre-Trial Services Agency, which is a part of the 

court system and serves the Superior Court, validated a questionnaire developed by the agency shortly after its 

creation in 1990. The tool is used to develop release recommendation reports that judges receive on each felony 

and some misdemeanor defendants, based on the following two pretrial risk factors: 1) appearance for court; or 

2) commission of new crimes while on release. The Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) performed the evaluation and 

presented the findings to the County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The final report generated for 

the Council and agency staff included a sophisticated multi-variable analysis and tested simulations on a new 

instrument that would help improve efficiency in the risk assessment process. The report also concluded 

(through simulations) that an increase in release of some defendants not currently released under the existing 

assessment instrument presents less risk than originally anticipated. 

Page 2 E-SJI News – Vol. 21, No. 4
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON MUNICIPAL COURT 

EVALUATES PROCEDURES AND SERVICES

The Seattle Municipal Court, located in Washington state’s largest city received a grant (SJI-10-T-089) to 

evaluate existing administrative procedures and needs of justice system-involved persons. The goal of this 

project was to seek ways to improve the operations, staffing, and performance of the Court’s criminal 

processing systems in light of shrinking resources, a reduction in the number of judges, and the desire to 

promote best practices in adjudicating limited jurisdiction cases. 

NCSC accepted the grant for the Court and performed the technical assistance services associated with the 

project. The final report generated 21 recommendations ranging from administrative considerations, including 

master calendaring, Presiding Judge authority, and use of in-house criminal caseflow expertise, to timely 

technological advisements regarding courtroom paperwork processing and information system software 

upgrades. 

Also highlighted in the evaluation of this limited jurisdiction court operations were recommendations that many 

traditional criminal and civil courts across the country are confronted with including reductions in judgeships, 

specialty court implementation, probation/community corrections reporting, and optimizing the sharing of court 

facilities between judges, attorneys, and staff. The final report from this grant is available on the SJI website.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Next grant and scholarship application deadline: February 1, 2011 (2nd Quarter, FY 2011). 

 The Board will meet on April 22, 2011, to make grant awards for the 2nd Quarter. 

 SJI continues to operate under a Continuing Resolution. Grant awards from FY 2010 and prior are 

eligible for reimbursement.

Page 3 E-SJI News – Vol. 21, No. 4
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Effective October 1, 2010, grantees who have finished their projects 

must submit final grant reports and products under a new procedure 

that requires 3 hard copies sent to SJI by mail; and 1 digital copy (PDF 

or MS Word preferred), including all attachments and appendices. 

Grant products and final reports can be submitted electronically to 

Kathryn Tuck, Program Analyst, at kathryn.tuck@sji.gov. Project 

Grant final reports are no longer required to be sent to each state law 

library. The NCSC library is the new clearinghouse for all SJI Project 

Grant final reports.

 SJI is moving – effective February 22, 2011, the State Justice Institute 

will relocate its office from Alexandria to Reston, Virginia. The new 

mailing address for SJI is as follows:

State Justice Institute

11951 Freedom Drive

Suite 1020

Reston, VA 20190

 (the main phone and fax numbers will not change)

Board of Directors

Chairman

James R. Hannah

Chief Justice

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Little Rock, AR

Vice Chairman

Daniel J. Becker

State Court Administrator

Utah AOC

Salt Lake City, UT

Secretary

Gayle A. Nachtigal

Judge

Washington County Circuit Court

Hillsboro, OR

Treasurer

Hernan D. Vera

President & CEO

Public Counsel

Los Angeles, CA

Robert A. Miller

Chief Justice (Ret.)

Supreme Court of South Dakota

Pierre, SD

John B. Nalbandian

Partner

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Cincinnati, OH

Marsha J. Rabiteau

Policy Consultant

Rabiteau Consulting

Bloomfield, CT

Jonathan D. Mattiello

Executive Director

The State Justice Institute is a 

federally-funded, non-profit 

corporation established by federal 

law in 1984 to improve the quality 

of justice in state courts, and foster 

innovative, efficient solutions to 

common issues faced by all courts. 

SJI is governed by a Board of 

Directors appointed by the 

President and confirmed by the 

Senate.

Page 4 E-SJI News – Vol. 21, No. 4