Criminal Case Management

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Differentiated criminal case management (DCM) procedures were developed in Lee County in an effort to promote uniformity in practice throughout the 20th Judicial Circuit and with the intent to expand best practices to other counties in the region. Procedures were established to improve the predictability, efficiency, and timely resolution of felony cases in Circuit Court and to ensure compliance with the provisions and aims of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. The Court recognized that a defendant’s right to a speedy trial, as well as the public’s interest in timely, fair and just verdicts in criminal cases would be best met through the development and application of a uniform and consistent series of time-focused standards for the conduct of criminal cases in Circuit Court. These procedures came as a result of collaboration between the Court, the State Attorney, the Public Defender, and the defense bar. Through this collaboration, it was determined that DCM techniques would allow courts to tailor the case flow processes to the requirements of individual cases. The main concepts associated with DCM are: (1) Setting case tracks, based on criteria that determines the necessary case events and time goals, (2) Enhanced organization of court events by using a Pretrial Scheduling Order, and (3) Close case monitoring to ensure that the case progresses in the most efficient manner. At the start of the project in December 2008, the total number of felony cases pending in Lee County was 4,028. Since the implementation of the DCM strategies in Lee County, however, the Court has strived to maintain a minimum of 100 percent clearance. As of December 2010 the number of pending felony cases has been reduced to 2,346, and the average case clearance rates for 2009 and 2010 were 111 percent and 102 percent, respectively.