impact analysis: children’s fast track appeals process
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Impact Analysis: Children’s Fast Track Appeals Process
Prepared for the State RoundtableMay 26, 2011
2
• Information for this presentation was given to the Office of Children and Families in the Courts from:
– Karen Reid Bramblett , Superior Court Prothonotary– Irene Bizzoso, Supreme Court Prothonotary
3
Superior Court Cases
4
• CFT Rules allow 111 days before a case can come before a merits panel:
– 30 days to file the notice of appeal– 30 days to transmit the record– 30 days for the Appellant’s brief– 21 days for the Apellee's brief
5
All Children's Fast Track Cases Decided between 3/14/2009 and 4/12/2011
179
138
181 180
150
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Adoption Custody/Visitation Dependency Paternity Termination of ParentalRights
Type of Appeal
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
th
e R
ecei
pt
of
the
No
tice
of
Ap
pea
l to
Dis
po
siti
on
N= 47N=320
N= 213N= 5 N= 546
6
Children's Fast Track Cases Disposed Prior to Panel (Quashed) between 3/14/2009 and 4/12/2011
71
64
59
74
57
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Adoption Custody/Visitation Dependency Paternity Termination of ParentalRights
Type of Appeal
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
th
e R
ecei
pt
of
the
No
tice
o
f A
pp
eal t
o D
isp
osi
tio
n
N= 9
N=
133N= 121
N= 1 N= 92
7
Children's Fast Track Cases Decided by Merits Panel between 3/14/2009 and 4/12/2011
204
216
236
212202
0
50
100
150
200
250
Adoption Custody/Visitation Dependency Paternity Termination of ParentalRights
Type of Appeal
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
th
e R
ecei
pt
of
the
No
tice
of
Ap
pea
l to
Dis
po
siti
on
N=
38
N=
187
N= 92N= 4 N=
454
8
* Cases that came up as FFT before CFT was implemented
Similar FFT* Cases Decided between 3/14/2009 and 4/12/2011
245
254
277 279
267
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
Adoption Custody/Visitation Dependency Paternity Termination of ParentalRights
Type of Appeal
Aver
ag
e N
um
ber
of
Days
fro
m R
ecei
pt
of
No
tice
of
Ap
pea
l to
Dis
po
siti
on
N= 18 N= 104 N= 81N= 2
N= 192
9
All Other Appeals Disposed of Between 3/14/2009 and 4/12/2011
322
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
All Other Appeals (Non-Children's Matters)
Aver
ag
e N
um
ber
of
Days
fro
m R
ecei
pt
of
No
tice
of
Ap
peal
s to
D
isp
osi
tio
n
N= 15, 300
10
Children's Matters Appeals
150
277
245
267254
220
201
246
179 181
180
138
279
229231
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Adopt
ion
Custo
dy/V
isita
tion
Depen
dency
Pater
nity
Term
inatio
n of
Par
enta
l Righ
ts
Type of Appeal
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
Rec
eip
t o
f N
oti
ce o
f A
pp
eals
to
D
isp
osi
tio
n
CFT (3/14/2009-4/12/2011)
Similar FFT (3/14/2009-4/12/2011)
Similar FFT (1/1/2008-12/31/2008)
11
Notable Observations on Children’s Matters Appeals
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition for Adoptions has decreased by 52 days (compared to similar 2008 FFT dispositions).
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition for Custody/Visitation has decreased by 70 days (compared to similar 2008 FFT dispositions).
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition for Dependency has decreased by 91 days (compared to similar 2008 FFT dispositions).
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition for Paternity has decreased by 20 days (compared to similar 2008 FFT dispositions).
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition for TPRs has decreased by 66 days (compared to similar 2008 FFT dispositions).
12
Average Length of Time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition
151
266
322
236
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
CFT FFT Decided in 2008 Similar FFT Decided After CFTw as Implemented
All Other Appeals After CFT w asImplemented
Track
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s
N= 639 N=397N= 482 N= 15, 300
13
Superior Court Notable Observations
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Disposition for all Children’s Fast Track cases has decreased by 85 days (compared to similar Family Fast Track cases disposed of in 2008).
• Since its implementation, Children’s Fast Track cases have reached disposition an average of 171 days sooner than all other non-children’s matters appeals disposed of in the same time period.
– Children’s Fast Track cases are reaching disposition in half the amount of time of non-children’s matters appeals.
14
Supreme Court Cases
15
Children's Fast Track Cases Decided between 3/14/2009 to 4/12/2011
5065
45
195
42
0
50
100
150
200
250
Adoption Custody/Visitation Dependency Juvenile Act Termination of ParentalRights
Type of Appeal
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
Do
cket
ed
Dat
e to
Dec
isio
n
N= 17 N= 23 N= 28 N= 1 N= 114
16* Cases that came up from the Superior Court as FFT before CFT was implemented
Similar FFT Cases* Decided between 3/14/2009 to 4/12/2011
159
176
189
151
0
50
100
150
200
250
Adoption Custody/Visitation Dependency Termination of Parental Rights
Type of Appeal
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
Do
cket
ed D
ate
to D
ecis
ion
N= 1 N= 6 N= 6 N= 14
17
All Other Appeals Decided of Between 3/14/2009 and 4/12/2011
187
192
182
176
178
180
182
184
186
188
190
192
194
Eastern Middle Western
Filing Office
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s fr
om
Do
cket
ed D
ate
to
Dec
isio
n
N= 1,513 N= 1,884 N= 1,306
18
Children's Matters Appeals
5065
45
151159
176174
228
42
189
176
184
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Type of Appeal
Avera
ge N
um
ber
of
Days f
rom
Do
ckete
d D
ate
to D
ecis
ion
CFT (3/14/2009-4/12/2011)
Similar FFT (3/14/2009-4/12/2011)
Similar FFT (1/1/2008-12/31/2008)
19
Notable Observations on Children’s Matters Appeals
• The average length of time from the Docketed Date to Decision for Adoption cases has decreased by 134 days (compared to 2008 dispositions).
– These cases are being decided in one-fourth the time they were before CFT was enacted.
• The average length of time from the Docketed Date to Decision for Custody/Visitation cases has decreased by 124 days (compared to 2008 dispositions).
– These cases are being decided 3.5 times quicker than they were before CFT was enacted.
• The average length of time from the Docketed Date to Decision for Dependency cases has decreased by 163 days (compared to 2008 dispositions).
– These cases are being decided 3.5 times quicker than they were before CFT was enacted.
• The average length of time from Receipt of Notice of Appeals to Decision for TPR cases has decreased by 139 days (compared to 2008 dispositions).
– These cases are being decided in one-fourth the time they were before CFT was enacted.
20
Average Length of Time from Docketed Date to Decision by Track
49
167
188
192
0
50
100
150
200
250
CFT FFT Decided in 2008 Similar FFT Decided After CFTw as Implemented
All Other Appeals After CFTw as Implemented
Track
Ave
rag
e N
um
ber
of
Day
s
N= 57 N= 183 N= 27 N=
4,703
21
Supreme Court Notable Observations
• The average length of time from the Docketed Date to Decision for all Children’s Fast Track cases has decreased by 143 days (compared to similar
Family Fast Track cases disposed of in 2008). – These cases are being decided 3.5 times quicker than they were before CFT was
enacted.
• Since its implementation, all Children’s Fast Track cases have reached decision an average of 139 days sooner than all other non-children’s matters appeals disposed of in the same time period.
– Children’s Fast Track cases are being decided 3.5 times quicker than non-children’s matters appeals.
22
Concluding Remarks
• Children’s Fast Track has significantly decreased the amount of time it takes for a children’s matter case appealed to the Superior Court and Supreme Court to reach disposition.
• Children’s matters appeals to the Supreme Court have been impacted the most, with cases being decided up to 3.5 times quicker than they were before Children’s Fast Track was implemented.
• Overall, Children’s Fast Track cases appealed to the Superior Court and the Supreme Court are being decided quicker than all other appeals.