Public Notice Detail

ELK RIVER, MN (Feb. 12, 2003) – Recent Sherburne County District Court improvements have succeeded in increasing accountability, saving taxpayer money and litigation expenses, and reducing disruption in the lives of people involved in disputes.

On July 1, 2002, Sherburne County District Court initiated various improvements, including an “Individual Assignment” or “one judge-one case” calendar, in which one judge follows a case from beginning to end.  In its first six months, the calendar has significantly reduced the number of necessary jury trials and increased the rate of early case resolutions by as much as 83 percent.

“Early case resolutions mean we save taxpayer money on juror fees, bailiff overtime and other trial costs while avoiding unnecessary disruptions in the lives of jurors and witnesses who would have participated in trial,” said Sherburne County District Court Judge Karla Hancock.  “The new calendars allow us to take more time at the pretrial stage to find out the real issues in the case and overcome the impediments to resolving those disputes sooner.”

Under the old “master calendar,” multiple judges may have handled the proceedings of a single case.  But the one judge-one case calendar allows judges to oversee the progress of a case and understand the needs of those involved in it.  The result is greater continuity, fewer court delays, and better and earlier dispute resolutions.

According to a recent court report, there were 162 cases set for jury trial during the last quarter of 2001 under the old master calendar system.  However, during the last quarter of 2002 – under the new one judge-one case calendar – only 27 cases were set for jury trial.

The one judge-one case calendar is one of several changes that Sherburne County Courts have made in recent months.  Other improvements include:

• Establishing in-court electronic calendars and computer-generated orders so judges and court staff can assign hearings with fewer conflicts.  In addition, people involved in cases can immediately receive court orders.
• Creating a one-stop location for citizens to pay their fines or negotiate payment schedules.
• Renovating the county’s law library to enhance legal research capabilities for the community.
• Restructuring court check-in and creating a staging area for people involved in arraignment hearings.  The changes have reduced confusion and congestion in the courthouse.

Elk River City Prosecutor Christopher Johnson said he has already noticed benefits, including substantial savings in overtime paid to police officers who – prior to the changes - would be forced to wait around for court hearings and then never testify because the case is resolved.  “When you resolve cases on the front end, the cost savings are going to be seen across the board,” Johnson said.

The courts have worked closely with Johnson and others, such as county attorneys and public defenders, to implement the improvements.

“I think that’s why it’s working,” Johnson said.  “When everyone is committed, you can get things done.”

The changes were suggested by the American University Criminal Courts Technical Assistance Project, which provided consultation to Sherburne County District Court through the U.S. Department of Justice.  The consultants’ work was paid for by a grant from the National Center for State Courts.