Create a Diagram and SWOT analysis of a proposed reorganization of the District and Municipal Court
Instructions
Local municipal jurisdictions are reconsidering their decision to operate their own court system, rather than depend upon county district and superior courts. Called a cash-grab by some, local jurisdictions believed initially that they could recover much of the cost of operating the system through fines and other assessments rather than contract with the county and pay negotiated fees. For some municipal jurisdictions, the separation has been profitable. In other cases, not so much.
While the separation might be about money, some municipal jurisdictions disagree philosophically with their county counterpart over traditional court structures. For example, some municipalities prefer to offer Early Case Resolution (ECR) to eligible first-time non-violent felony offenders. This allows offenders to enroll in treatment programs rather than face trial. Where the offender bears most of the cost, it is very inexpensive for the municipality. Many county courts do not offer this option, so it motivates municipalities to break from them. There are unintended consequences, however. Usually, the local private attorney community thrives economically defending Class 3 non-violent offenders. With ECR, Class 3 non-violent offenders now require no representation. Local attorneys must now fight for business defending less frequent cases of violence.