This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City's justice court has been named Justice Court of the Year by the Utah State Courts.
The award is based on results of questionnaires administered to the public and to court employees, and measures customer service, efficiency in disposition of cases, jury movement, and employee performance, according to a news release from the Salt Lake City's justice court.
The city's justice court is the largest and busiest among 135 courts in the state, with 4.5 sitting judges and 35 additional employees working in criminal, traffic, and small claims sections, the news release says.
The court moves approximately 55,000 cases through the system each year. Employees are also responsible for coordinating transportation of approximately 30 inmates a day from the Salt Lake County jail to the court for action on their misdemeanor cases and for providing interpreters fluent in 40 languages for non-English speaking defendants, the news release says.
"It is an honor to have our Justice Court employees recognized for their hard work and their ongoing commitment to treating people with respect and dignity," said Mayor Jackie Biskupski. "The way this team interacts with people has a real bearing on how they view the justice process and the city."
State court systems have set recommended benchmarks for disposition of cases in justice courts. Traffic cases should typically take no more than three months; criminal cases six months; and small claims cases nine months. Salt Lake City meets those guidelines at 94 percent, 85 percent, and 100 percent, respectively, said Justice Court Administrator Curtis Preece.
"Our employees work every day on efficiency, timeliness, showing the public respect, and on moving cases through the pipeline quickly but professionally," he said.