The Post-Dispatch rips a think tank in an editorial today, and — whew! — it ain’t us. The editorial (link via Combest) notes how a recent study by the National Center for State Courts had what the Post-Dispatch called a "fatal flaw" in its reasoning when it concluded the St. Louis City Circuit could make do with four fewer judges. The flaw was that more criminal cases go to trial in the city than elsewhere, trials take much longer than other caseload items (obviously), and the study did not realize this. Admittedly, this does seem like a substantial oversight by the think tank (that I will, again, repeat was not us).
Should the city lose some judges? Probably not now. But as tort reform kicks into high gear as the cases filed pre-reform get disposed of, and the city sees fewer overall cases, it might be a worthy idea in the near future.
