In Support of the National Center for State Courts Effort to Secure Federal Funding for its State Courts Improvement Initiative
Resolution 2: In Support of the National Center for State Courts Effort to Secure Federal Funding for its State Courts Improvement Initiative
WHEREAS, the Conference of Chief Justices consists of the Chief Justices of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all territories that make up the United States; and
WHEREAS, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) was founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and then U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger as a not-for-profit organization focused on state court improvement; and
WHEREAS, NCSC is the premier institution dedicated to improving state court systems across the United States through original research, consulting services, national education programs and information clearinghouse services; and
WHEREAS, because 98% of litigation in the United States is initiated in state courts, these courts are called upon to adjudicate and administratively implement national policy in numerous areas, including child support enforcement, domestic violence, juvenile justice, and criminal history records; and
WHEREAS, state courts also have an active role in the implementation of interstate compacts and international treaty requirements, such as those related to adoption and child abduction; and
WHEREAS, NCSC offers a comprehensive range of services touching on every aspect of the justice system from reducing court delay, to developing performance measures for courts, to providing technical assistance on electronic filing of documents, to reducing the amount of time foster children spend in state protective custody before being placed in safe and permanent homes; and
WHEREAS, such NCSC services enable state courts to meet current and future needs, make fair and impartial decisions, and save time and money; and
WHEREAS, ever increasing federal requirements related to family matters, juvenile justice, domestic violence and elder abuse, criminal history background checks, sex offender registries, and more complicated types of litigation such as mass torts, complex commercial litigation, and evidence-based sentencing are causing increased demand for NCSC services; and
WHEREAS, to address these increasing requirements, the NCSC proposes to develop a State Courts Improvement Initiative that will assist state courts with education, training, technology, research, management and information services that implement federal policy and promote more efficient and effective state courts; and
WHEREAS, through this Initiative, the NCSC, with input from the Conference of Chief Justices, will assist state courts in effectively using new technologies, addressing greater caseloads, initiating specialty court projects and enhancing access to justice for everyone;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Conference of Chief Justices supports the NCSC funding request of $2 million from Congress for the State Courts Improvement Initiative, and urges members of Congress to support this request.
Adopted as proposed by the CCJ Board of Directors at the 31st Midyear Meeting on January 30, 2008