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ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR ORGANIZATION OF STATE COURT SYSTEMS *
Author(s) -
Baar Carl,
Henderson Thomna A.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
policy studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1541-0072
pISSN - 0190-292X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-0072.1982.tb00653.x
Subject(s) - variety (cybernetics) , argument (complex analysis) , state (computer science) , set (abstract data type) , political science , law and economics , administration (probate law) , organizational structure , law , public administration , economics , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , algorithm , programming language , artificial intelligence
The dominant theme in court reorganization has been to state judiciaries by consolidating trial courts and centralizing their administration in a state level office. This article suggests that the debate over the relative merits of a centralized vs. a decentralized (or fragmented) court system ignores the rich variety of organizational structures used in other fields. The potential judicial implications of three models‐franchise, corporate, and federal‐are examined in detail. Their underlying assumptions are compared with those of the centralization approach. The argument is made that none of the models is appropriate for all circumstances. Each approach to court organization emphasizes a particular set of objectives at the expense of another set. An effort is made to identify what each approach has to offer.