INC NEWS - WRAL documentary on Courts: "Trials and Tribulations"

[Caleb Southern]

WRAL aired an eye-opening documentary on the North Carolina Court System
last night. You can view the video at:

 

http://www.wral.com/news/5483769/detail.html

 

It features District Court Judges Elaine Bushfan and Craig Brown, District
Attorney Mike Nifong, and Dan Hill and Barker French of the Durham
Roundtable.

 

 

If you are concerned about the lack of funding for our courts, our Durham
state legislators can be reached at:

boba at ncleg.net; jeannel at ncleg.net; mickeym at ncleg.net; paull at ncleg.net;
paulmi at ncleg.net; winkiew at ncleg.net

 

It may also be worth contacting Sen. Marc Basnight

(919) 733-6854 Email: Marcb at ncleg.net

 

http://ncleg.net/

 

 

Some highlights of the documentary:

 

*         Durham ranks 48th out of the 50 states for judicial funding. (Only
Alabama and Mississippi are worse.)

*         Only 2% of felony cases in NC go to trial. The rest are disposed
of with pleas and dismissals.

*         Simple technology (computers) could greatly improve the efficiency
of the courts, and of clerks and staff.

*         Judges often handle 300 cases per day - 90 seconds per case.

*         The state funding process for the courts is highly subject to
politics.

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