Measure Seven is composed of three components:
7a Ensuring Fairness in Legal Financial Obligations (Court User Survey)
7b Management of Legal Financial Obligations
7c Fair Practices for Legal Financial Obligations (Court Personnel Survey)
Definition: Ratings by defendants/respondents of their treatment by the court in cases in which the court has imposed a legal financial obligation (LFO).
Purpose: This measure evaluates the extent to which the court is seen by its customers to demonstrate fairness, respect, equal treatment, and concern in the imposition of legal financial obligations (LFOs).
Definition: The percentage of cases in which legal financial obligations are fully met.
Purpose: Integrity and public trust in the administration of justice depend in part on how and how well court orders are observed and enforced. In the context of legal financial obligations, courts seek to manage compliance to maximize a defendant's ability to successfully meet those obligations. In particular, restitution for crime victims and accountability for enforcement of sanctions imposed are issues of intense public interest and concern. The focus of this measure is on the extent to which a court successfully manages the enforcement of court orders requiring payment of legal financial obligations.
Definition: Ratings by judicial officers, court administrators, and court staff on the importance and use of certain practices used by the court to determine, monitor, and enforce compliance by defendants with legal financial obligations (LFOs).
Purpose: Using a short survey, this measure provides a method of self-assessment for court personnel to evaluate the utility of their current processes and gauge the importance of incorporating additional recognized good practices to enhance defendant compliance with LFOs.