Meetings Steering Committee(Folders 1-2)

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The Oregon Judicial Department has developed projection data as a part of its "FUTURES - 2020" project. Copies of several graphs are attached. The caseload of the Courts and growth in size of the Bench as reflected on those charts are considered by the Futures Committee to be conservative figures based on established historic data. This data reflects a greater increase in growth than the WE Group has projected. The figures of the Futures Committee have been labeled as conservative by the Judicial Department. While the Judicial Department data projects an even greater need, even the WE Group report projects significant growth over the next twenty years. The WE Group anticipates an expansion of the Courts in Marion County of 33% (four additional Judges to the current Bench of twelve). The Judicial DepartmenYs projections would be, at a minimum, more likely in the area of six additional judges, or a 50°/a increase in Bench size. Even this minimal projected growth, based upon the Judicial DepartmenYs figures, also anticipates a significant change in emphasis requiring substantial staff and other facilities enhancements to accommodate the development and implementation of major alternative dispute resolution programs within the Court system. PRESENT CONDITIONS The Committee then considered the present condition of Court facilities. The Committee noted that two courtrooms and support offices are presently maintained at the CourYs Annex for criminal pre-trial matters. A hearing room and Court support offices are provided at the Marion County Juvenile Department for the processing of the juvenile caseload. Downtown, the Courthouse contains chambers and judicial offices for twelve Judges and the courPs administrative and clerk's office facilities in support of the Bench. The Courthouse also contains ten courtrooms and a jury assembly room. Due to a lack of space in the courthouse, older court records are contained in a remote site located in the basement of the Senator Building. The Committee noted that, when a Courthouse is well designed, it may be operationally efficient to contain fewer courtrooms than judicial positions. In such a situation, courtrooms can be designed for specific purposes (court trials, six member jury trials, twelve member jury trials) with the Judges using whichever courtroom is available which best meets the needs of the matter being heard. However, it is not a practical option when the judicial offices and courtrooms are not properly laid out to accommodate uses in this manner. The present Marion County Courthouse does not efficiently allow for this practice, resuiting in a need for a direct link of chambers and judicial offices to a particular courtroom. Two judicial offices do not presently have courtrooms assigned or associated with their facilities. While the Court is able to accommodate this physical layout at the present, due to courtroom facilities at the Court's Annex, it is not a structure which can be perpetuated as the number of Courts continues to grow. Therefore, with additional judicial positions being created, additional courtroom facilities, as well as the judicial o~ces, will be required for the Courts. -2- .