Wayne Court Reforms Target Slow Pace of Justice.

DETROIT -- Today, the 31 judges in the criminal division of Wayne County Circuit Court will end a month of trial work in which they each averaged slightly more than one trial per week. But also today -- in an effort to reverse a decade-long trend of fewer trials and, thus, slower justice -- the judges will receive directives that include being monitored to make sure they are logging full days and conducting more trials.

Maura Corrigan, chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, and Wayne County Prosecutor Michael Duggan have criticized the judges for what they say are lax work habits.

Criminal trials have plummeted 54 percent in Wayne County in the past decade, from 3,831 in 1991 to 1,772 in 2001, despite the fact that the number of new cases annually remained the same at about 15,000 each year, The Detroit News found.

During a six-day check in the same time period of the courtrooms after 2 p.m., The News found 46 percent were locked or empty. Judges need to be held accountable for these delays. Cases that languish needlessly deny the accused their constitutional right to a speedy trial.

The decline in productivity also forced the Wayne County Jail to release thousands more prisoners for lack of bed space. The News has found that at least 1,085 people freed under the jail's administrative release program in the past three years have been charged with committing new crimes.

The reforms to be put in place by the court's co-chief judges are the most visible commitment to change. The reforms expected to be announced today include:
* The five judges who exclusively handle basic procedural matters (such as arraignments) will now be expected to each hear at least 20 bench trials a month.
* An official from the State Court Administrator's Office will be assigned to Wayne Circuit Court to help judges manage their dockets.
* Court officials will monitor courtrooms to ensure that judges keep regular hours.

Judge Leonard Townsend defended his colleagues' diligence. The changes "are going to be counterproductive because you can't make everybody work at the same pace," he said. "I know some very good judges who work slow." Judge Kym Worthy said she cannot -- and will not -- work faster. "You're not trying to try these cases at breakneck speed. I can't possibly do more.... I'm not going to rush," she said.

New Berlin to Offer Juvenile Offenders a Jury of Their Peers.

With the juvenile crime rate on the rise in New Berlin, the Police Department is starting a Teen Court designed to relieve strain on the city's Municipal Court and increase accountability among youths who commit crimes.

Funded by a $14,000 federal grant, the Teen Court will use teenagers in the roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys, bailiffs and court reporters. The program will be modeled after a similar peer court started last year in Menomonee Falls.

Youths who commit the most common offenses — such as theft, vandalism, tobacco violations and disorderly conduct — often don't pay the price for their crimes. Typically the price is paid literally by the offender's parents, who often pony up for the municipal fines issued. Sometimes, the fines are paid without the juvenile ever having to appear in court. Sentences handed down in Teen Court would increase offenders' awareness of the impact of their crimes, said the director of the program.

"It makes the kid, and not mom and dad, accountable," he said.

The jury of the Teen Court can issue a variety of sentences, including community service, restitution, letters of apology or essays. In addition, offenders are required to serve as jurors in other cases in order to successfully complete their sentences. To be accepted by the Teen Court, a juvenile must have parental permission, must have admitted his or her guilt and must be a first-time offender.

The idea is that the teens who get a chance to get involved in it will see that it's not so funny when somebody goes out and does somethingharebrained. Having teens sit in judgment of their peers should have a greater impact on offenders. It knocks down the concept that it's just the rules of the adult world that keep kids from having fun.

Police liaison officers at New Berlin West and Eisenhower are recruiting high school students to participate in the program. The students will be trained in late October, and the court will hold its first session in November. Nationally, there are about 450 teen courts in 30 states, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Some school districts are considering a similar program that would focus on school infractions, such as tardiness.

10,000 to Be Jailed by Court Reforms (UK).

UP to 10,000 more people face jail under sweeping anti-crime measures unveiled by David Blunkett yesterday.

The Home Secretary published his long- awaited Criminal Justice Bill bringing in longer sentences for offenders and letting juries hear about previous convictions. He also abolished the double jeopardy rule which stopped people being tried twice for the same offence.

Magistrates will have their sentencing powers doubled, violent and sex offenders will be jailed for "indeterminate" terms and the universal right of trial by jury will be scrapped.

Home Office Minister Lord Falconer acknowledged there would be a "modest" increase in jail numbers and estimated it at hundreds rather than thousands. Prison experts and probation officers said it would top 10,000 when the number in jail is at a record high of 73,000. There is an opinion that the Government will need to build 10 new jails which will cost at least 200 million a year and the criminal justice system will not be able to cope.

John Wadham of the civil liberties group Liberty said: "Making trials less fair won't cut crime rates. It will send more innocent people to prison." Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy QC criticised the proposals, saying they amounted to "quite frightening" attacks on civil liberties.

But Mr Blunkett said: "The criminal justice system needs radical reform. Crime impacts most on the poorest members of society. Reducing it and bringing offenders to justice efficiently and effectively is a matter of social justice."

Other proposals include "weekend jail terms" and allowing hearsay evidence to be used in court.

2. Paraphrase the underlined words and word combinations.

3. Speak about some tendencies in the development of the court system in the UK, the USA and other countries (use the information of the texts in exercise VI.1 and your own knowledge).

VII.Court reforms started in Russia in 2001. Choose one aspect of the reforms for a detailed study and prepare a written report (1 page size) for a conference. UNIT 2. THE PROBLEM OF PUNISHMENT.

I. 1. Read the text.

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