Efficiency, Timeliness, and Quality: A New Perspective From Nine State Criminal Trial Courts

Efficiency, Timeliness, and Quality: A New Perspective From Nine State Criminal Trial Courts summarizes the findings of a final technical report about the effects of various case- and defendant-related characteristics on case processing time in nine state criminal trial courts. This Research In Brief (NCJ 181942) indicates no correlation between swift case processing time and lack of effective advocacy. All courts gave the same degree of attention to more complex cases, suggesting that case processing speed and quality are not mutually exclusive goals. Instead, case processing timeliness was associated with each court's local legal culture—in jurisdictions where attorneys believed resources were adequate and judges expected quick turnaround, the same work was achieved in shorter timeframes.