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The chief judges of the five courts of appeal adopted the Strategic Plan of the Courts of Appeal in 1999. The Supreme Court approved the plan the same year. The plan was reviewed in 2005, 2010, and 2015. The goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Courts of Appeal reflect the Court of Appeal Performance Standards which have been adopted by the Supreme Court. The information comprising the “Intent of the Objective” sections of this report was taken primarily from “Appellate Court Performance Standards and Measures” (June 1999), a joint publication of the National Center for State Courts and the State Justice Institute. The information presented in the “Response to the Objective” and “Major Strategies Initiated or Completed” sections of this report was compiled from responses of each court of appeal to a survey of chief judges, which was prepared by the Supreme Court Judicial Administrator’s office and distributed to the courts of appeal.
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS BY THE COURTS DURING THE PERIOD
1.1 To provide a reasonable opportunity for multi-judge review of decisions made by lower tribunals
1.2 To develop, clarify, and unify the law.
1.3 To determine expeditiously those petitions and/or applications for which no other adequate or speedy remedy exists, including mandamus, habeas corpus, quo warranto, termination of parental rights and other matters affecting children’s rights, and election proceedings, and to consider expeditiously those writ applications filed under the court’s supervisory jurisdiction in which expedited consideration, or a stay, is required.
2.1 To ensure that adequate consideration is given to each case and that decisions are based on legally relevant factors, thereby affording every litigant the full benefit of the judicial process.
2.2 To ensure that decisions of the courts of appeal are clear and the form of the opinion is controlled by Rule 2-16, Uniform Rules, Courts of Appeal.
2.3 To publish those written decisions that develop, clarify, or unify the law.
2.4 To resolve cases expeditiously.
3.1 To ensure that the courts of appeal are accessible procedurally, economically, and physically to the public and to attorneys.
3.2 To facilitate public access to decisions of the courts of appeal.
3.3 To inform the public of court operations and activities.
3.4 To ensure the highest professional conduct of both the bench and the bar.
4.1 To seek and obtain sufficient resources from the legislative and executive branches to fulfill their responsibilities, and to institute and maintain a system of accountability for the efficient use of these resources.
4.2 To manage caseloads effectively and use available resources efficiently and productively.
4.3 To develop methods for improving aspects of trial court performance that affect the appellate judicial process.
4.4 To use fair employment practices; and to train and develop the court’s human resources.
5.1 To vigilantly guard judicial independence while respecting the other coequal branches of government.
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The 1st Circuit reported that it added electronic dockets outside of its courtrooms. These electronic dockets provide the public an easily accessible source of case information in a central location. Additionally, in a climate of intense focus on fiscal responsibility, the court performed reviews of internal processes with an eye towards streamlining processing of filings to the specific needs of the court without an impact on services to the public. The result was a reduction in internal costs associated with the flow of cases/documents/reports among court personnel without sacrificing the quality or expeditious nature of the services provided to the public.
The 2nd Circuit reported it upgraded the courtroom JAVS system and installed upgraded assisted listening devices.
The 3rd Circuit reported that it moved from an old Novell Network to a Microsoft Active Directory platform. The court implemented two Hyper-RV servers with expanded SAN and replaced its old Novell 1 network and VMware. The court moved to Office 365. Further, the Court updated the speed within which data communication is transferred from 10 mbps to 500 mbps, which facilitates the transmission of documents from the main court in Lake Charles to its nine remote offices. Due to the increase VPN speeds, the court was able to install better firewalls at the main court building and at each remote location, which will greatly increase the protection of the court's systems from computer viruses and malware. The new Clerk of Court is a Certified Court Manager, having obtained the certification from the National Center for State Courts Institute of Court Management. The curriculum includes classes related to all aspects of the court processes including, but not limited to, budgetary matters, human resources, and technology.
The 4th Circuit reported that it started a program to provide in house CLE for law clerks and central staff, in an effort to have these courses be more beneficial and better geared to the type of work they do, while also exposing them to changes in the law.
The 5th Circuit reported that its records, filings and information are all now online. The court has the capacity to transmit the entire record as a download, and are actively sending electronic records and receiving filings from Angola electronically.
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