Citation

Delucia B, Scopatz R, Edwards M. Transp. Res. Rec. 1997; 1581: 1-9.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/1581-01

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A model court records system designed to meet the needs of judges and prosecutors in adjudicating traffic offenses was compared with existing records systems in state and local jurisdictions throughout the United States. The model system incorporates data requirements at each of four phases (enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, and records management) as well as functional descriptions of how the system should operate to provide information in a usable manner to judges and prosecutors. Comparisons of the model system and existing systems were solicited from enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, judges and court clerks, and managers of court and driver history records systems in every state.

RESULTS indicate that the majority of the data requirements of judges and prosecutors currently are met through manual systems that fail to provide easy, timely access to information. Further, the results indicate that agencies that generate or store the data have an incomplete understanding of judges' and prosecutors' needs. A plan is provided that outlines a sequence of actions that can be taken at the national level to improve court records systems' ability to meet the information needs of judges and prosecutors adjudicating traffic cases.

Language: en