Agenda Item 5 2 th Circuit Calendar Workload and Trends Report 28 Overview This report provides a summary of Circuit Court calendar workload trends over the period of 22 through 27. Overall case filing trends in the 2 th Circuit courts have been on a steady upward trend increasing 6.8 % per year since 22. In 27, the circuit experienced a 14% increase in filings and dispositions did not keep pace with a 1.% growth in 27 (Chart 1). Chart 1 Circuit Case Filings Vs Dispositions 22-28 6, 5, Filings +33.9% ( Avg 6.8% per year) Filings Up 14% 27 4, 3, Dispositions +17.2% (Avg 3.4% per yr) Dispositions Up 1% in 27 Filings Dispositions 2, 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/6 6/3/27* Filings 41,368 44,169 46,475 47,422 48,67 55,426 Dispositions 36,983 41,578 41,426 44,185 42,759 43,344 Filing growth in 27 was driven by sharp increases in civil filings (93% in Lee, 71 % in Collier and 42% in Charlotte) and in criminal filings that increased 19 % in 27 and have shown steady growth of 62 % over the past 5 years or 12.5 % per year. The areas of sharpest increase are civil and criminal. Family and Probate filings are flat over the last five years (Chart 2).
Chart 2 6, Circuit Filing Trends 5, 4, Total Circuit Filings up 34% since 22; 14% growth in 27 3, Circuit Family Filings Up 9% since 22 Circuit Civil up 75% in 27 2, Circuit Criminal Filings Up 62% since 22 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27* Total Filings 41,368 44,169 46,475 47,422 48,67 55,426 Civil 9,741 1,55 1,1 9,918 9,366 16,44 Criminal 6,849 7,838 7,991 8,258 9,845 11,17 Family 18,264 19,32 19,717 18,241 19,736 19,92 Probate 6,514 6,794 8,757 11,5 9,66 7,977 Year Total Filings Civil Criminal Family Probate Calendar Clearance Rate Trends Clearance rate measures the circuit s ability to stay current with incoming workload. Since 23, overall clearance rate declined from 94.1% to 78.2% in 27. Case filings have grown 34% percent and dispositions 17% over the last five years. Family and Probate clearance rates remain strong in the 88-93% area, largely due moderate filing increases. Civil clearance dipped from 9% to 6% circuit wide after five years of stability. In 27, criminal clearance rates also showed signs of recovery for the first time after four years of decline due to a 19% increase in dispositions. Criminal calendar clearance rates remain a significant workload problem for the circuit at 72 per cent (Chart 3).
Chart 3 Overall 2th Circuit Clearance Rates 12.% 1.% 8.% 6.% 4.% 2.% Overall Clearance Rates Down to 78% Driven By Increased Civil Filings; Criminal shows recovery with increase in disposition rates of 19%. Family and Probate filings and disposition rates are flat. Total Criminal Civil Family Probate.% 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27* Total 89.4% 94.1% 89.1% 93.2% 88.% 78.2% Criminal 89.4% 94.7% 89.7% 83.2% 68.4% 72.4% Civil 79.2% 84.9% 85.3% 91.2% 9.7% 6.% Family 91.3% 96.6% 9.3% 99.3% 93.2% 92.5% Probate 99.4% 1.9% 9.4% 92.2% 94.5% 88.2%
Civil Division In 27, civil cases exploded due to economic conditions related to the housing market downturn. Contract cases filed went from 6,232 to 1,53 in one year. Lee (+93%), Collier (+71%) and Charlotte (+42%) were the hardest hit. Auto negligence cases also had a sharp upturn and other circuit civil and professional malpractice cases filed essentially doubled in volume (Chart 4). By county, Lee County registered the highest growth (+93%) and highest caseload per judge (2,922) in 27. Collier (+71%), Charlotte (+42) and Hendry (+16%) all showed high one year increase in civil filings (Chart 5). Chart 4 Civil Filing Trends By Casetyp 12, 8, 6, Prof. Malprac. & Prod. Liability Auto & Other Negligence Contracts Other Circuit Civil 4, 2, 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27 * Prof. Malprac. & Prod. 111 13 17 93 87 168 Liability Auto & Other Negligence 1,295 1,393 1,457 1,337 1,54 2,362 Contracts 5,922 6,422 5,88 6,232 6,66 1,53 Other Circuit Civil 2,413 2,56 2,566 2,256 1,79 3,47
Chart 5 Circuit Civil Filings Trends by County 12, Lee - 62% of total Up 93% in 27 (2,922 per judge) 8, 6, Lee Charlotte Hendry Glades Collier 4, Collier - 21% of total; Up 71% in 27 (1,683 per judge) 2, Hendry-2.7% of total Up16% in 27 (2,215 per judge) Charlotte 14% of total Up 42% in 27 (1,919 per judge) 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27* Criminal Division Criminal Division filings have grown 62 % since 22 and register the highest level of average growth (12.5% per year) since 22. Drug offenses and property crime filings show the highest level of growth (Chart 6). Crimes against persons complaints also showed a high one year increase (+2.5%) in 27.
Chart 6 Criminal Trends By Casetype 6, 5, 4, 3, Capital Murder Violent Crimes Crimes Against Persons Crimes Against Property Drug Crimes 2, 1, 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27* Capital Murder 12 13 1 5 1 14 Violent Crimes 257 312 271 249 344 394 Crimes Against Persons 1,387 1,62 1,491 1,61 1,758 2,14 Crimes Against Property 3,275 3,79 3,746 3,859 4,89 5,297 Drug Crimes 1,918 2,22 2,473 2,544 2,924 3,297 Criminal filings in Lee (+18%), Glades (+53%), Hendry (+26%) and Charlotte (+22%) counties all show high growth in 27. Significantly, criminal filings in Lee are up 63% since 25 after four years of no growth. Charlotte, Glades and Hendry filings were moderate until 26 and show sharp recent increase. Collier criminal filings were down 8% in 27 and have shown a recent downward trend since 25 after three years of 1% per year annual growth from 22 to 25 (Chart 7). Felony jury trials completed in 27 (January 1 through December 31, 27) show the following breakdown by county: County Jury Trials Dispositions Trials per FTE Judge Charlotte 24 1,889 12. (1.3%) Collier 27 2,515 11.3 (1.1%) Glades 4 14 16. (2.9%) Hendry 8 449 11.2 (1.8%) Lee 112 3,45 28. (3.7%) Total 175 8,38 18.4 (2.2%)
Chart 7 Circuit Criminal Filing Trends By County 6, 5, Lee 5,72 Filings- 51.3% of total Up 18% in 27; 63% since 25 (1,362 Filings per judge) 4, Collier 2,474 Criminal Filings- 22.3% of total; Down 8%in 27 (1,3 per judge) 3, 2, 1, Charlotte 1,897 Filings - 17.1% Up 22% (948 per judge) Hendry 8 Filings- 7.2%of total Up 26% in 27 (1,333 per judge) 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27* Year Lee Charlotte Hendry Glades Collier Family Division Overall case filings in the Family Division circuit wide have grown moderately, up an average of 1.8% per year from 22 to 27. By case type, the circuit Family filings in 27 were roughly at the same level as filings in 22, with the exception of Domestic Violence cases, which have leveled off after increases of 26 per cent, or 5 % per year on an annual average between 22 and 25 (Chart 8). Charlotte (+1%) and Lee County (+3%) showed modest family case filing increases in 27 and Hendry (-17%), Collier (-1%) and Glades (-8%) show declines in the level of Family cases filed (Chart 9).
Chart 8 Family Filing Trends by Casetype 6, 5, 4, 3, Simplified Dissolution Dissolution Child Support Domestic Violence Other Domestic Relations Delinquency Dependency 2, 1, 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27*
Chart 9 Circuit Family Filing Trends 12, Lee 53% of total Up 3% In 27 (1,575 per judge) 6.7 FTE 8, 6, Collier 23% of total Down 1% in 27 (1,291 per judge) 3.6FTE 4, Charlotte- 17% of total Up 1% in 27 (2,31 per judge)1.5fte 2, Hendry -5% of total Down 17% in 27 (2,11 per judge).5 FTE 7/1/2 7/1/3 7/1/4 7/1/5 7/1/26 6/3/27* Lee Charlotte Hendry Glades Collier Circuit Filing Trends By County Attachment I provides tables and trend analysis for filing, disposition and clearance trends by county and division for the period of 22 to 27. Overall case filing and disposition trends over the past five years show the following: County Avg. Annual Filings Avg. Annual Dispositions Charlotte 8.2% 7.6% Collier 1.1% 1.3% Glades 9.8% 5.% Hendry 7.6% 4.7% Lee 7.8% 3.4% Overall 6.8% 3.4%