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Ohio Chief Justice Pursues Study of Judges’ Workloads

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor is pushing for a study of judges’ workloads at a time the number of cases on judges’ dockets is declining.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show O’Connor told a gathering of judges in March that the changing nature of the judicial system can’t be ignored.

O’Connor says competition from private companies offering mediation outside the courts has reduced judges’ caseloads significantly.

O’Connor says judges have an important story to tell about their workloads as more one-on-one time is spent focusing on defendants with mental illness and addictions.

The National Center For State Courts says many court systems have done such studies to measure courts’ efficiency in a time of tight state budgets.