Criminal case backlog reduction resource helps improve case management

March 5, 2025 -- In the wake of the pandemic, courts across the country faced an unprecedented challenge: backlogs of criminal cases that strained resources, delayed justice, and tested public confidence.

NCSC and the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators (CCJ/COSCA) Rapid Response Team addressed this issue head-on. Through dynamic collaborative learning sessions, courts shared insights, brainstormed solutions, and developed best practices for effective criminal case management.

This collaboration resulted in the development of the recently released Criminal Caseload Backlog Reduction Learning Collaborative Series—a three-part resource with practical tools and guidance to help courts manage criminal dockets effectively, reduce unnecessary continuances, and work with the increasing amount of digital evidence.

The new resource includes:

A model scheduling order and model continuance policy
Implementation guidance designed to assist courts with putting policies into practice
A digital evidence guide, which covers everything from identification of needs to vendor selection and implementation of the new platform

“We really wanted to provide a deeper understanding of the underlying principles of effective criminal case management,” explained Kristen Trebil-Halbersma, an NCSC managing director. “By providing implementation guidance and clarifying the ‘why’ behind the recommendations, we hope it reinforces the best practices for long-term case management success.”

Real-world impact

During NCSC’s February webinar, Strategies for Effective Criminal Case Management, several court leaders shared how their strategies for scheduling orders and continuance policies have transformed their courtrooms:

North Dakota: Many judges across the state have implemented scheduling orders, reducing unnecessary hearings and providing attorneys and litigants with clear expectations. As a result, fewer than 1% of criminal cases exceed the established time standard.
Harris County, Texas: By implementing scheduling orders and continuance policies, courts have enhanced continuity and predictability within the system, leading to improvements in case disposition times, clearance rates, the number of settings required to reach disposition, and a notable reduction in requests for continuances.
Hennepin County, Minnesota: A structured continuance policy, combined with a “Seven Questions” framework, helped eliminate 81% of backlogged cases in just six months.

For more information and resources about case processing and court performance management, visit our Effective Criminal Case Management initiative.

Nominations for the Sandra Day O'Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education close March 14

There’s still time to submit a nomination for the 2025 Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education. Named for the late associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the award recognizes an organization, court, or individual(s) that has promoted, inspired, improved, or led an innovation or accomplishment in the field of civics education relating to the justice system.

Nominations must be made by a member of the Conference of Chief Justices, Conference of State Court Administrators, or NCSC Board of Directors.

Nominations should be submitted via email to Molly Justice by midnight ET on Friday, March 14. Visit the NCSC website for more information about the award and nomination process.