Maupin told members of a legislative budget subcommittee that the court has reduced its backlog of uncompleted cases by more than 500 cases since 1998. Justices now believe they can delay by two years the establishment of the new court, Maupin said. Unlike Nevada, most states have a three-tier system of courts.
Appeals courts hear appeals of decisions of district courts.
Then the Supreme Court receives appeals from the appeals court decisions. In Nevada, appeals of district court decisions go directly to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had told legislators two years ago that the question to create an appeals court should go on statewide ballots in 2002. Despite past court drives to create an appellate court, the proposal has been defeated by voters three times. The Supreme Court backlog reached 2,354 cases in 1998, but fell to 1,720 cases by the end of 2000.