Courtroom proceedings at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center, also known as 201 Poplar, have been under a magnifying glass as observers have sat in to study the efficiency of the criminal justice process. 

Two separate reports — one from local nonprofit Just City and a second from a court watcher hired by outgoing Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland — shed new light on the system, specifically when it comes to case resolutions and trial numbers.

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Recently, Strickland released a report he contracted retired Criminal Court Judge Robert “Bobby” Carter to create.

Carter’s report focused largely on the lack of trials being held in Shelby County and how long it takes for cases to be resolved. In the report, released on Friday, Dec. 1, Carter suggested solutions to increase the number of trials being held and ultimately speed up the disposition of cases.

Case ‘complexity’ contributes to longer resolution times, judge says

Quoting statistics from the National Center for State Courts that suggest 98% of felony cases should be closed within one year and misdemeanor cases in six months.

“This is clearly not the case in Shelby County,” he wrote.

Carter told The Daily Memphian there are exceptions: “Obviously there are anomalies, but what you’re talking about is your average case and your day-to-day.”

Most criminal court cases took more than a year to resolve, according to Just City’s report. Most general sessions criminal court cases took an average of four months or more to resolve.

Criminal Court Division 7 Judge Lee Coffee had the longest disposition time at an average of 800 days, according to the Just City report.

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Coffee, as one of two judges who receive cases from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office Special Prosecution Unit, has presided and continues to preside over arguably some of the city’s highest-profile cases.

The unit handles cases involving repeat felony offenders and seeking maximum sentencing upon conviction, according to the DA’s office. 

“I’m not surprised it takes cases longer to be resolved in my court and Judge Craft’s court because of the complexity,” Coffee said.

Criminal Court Division 8 Judge Chris Craft is the other judge who receives cases from the unit.

Coffee pointed to additional complexities involved if a defendant also has pending federal charges; state charges can’t be resolved until federal charges are cleared.

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Coffee said 30% to 40% of defendants in his courtroom who are in custody have pending federal charges.

Just City Court Watch program manager Yonée Gibson previously told The Daily Memphian that the different types of cases judges see don’t necessarily come into play.

“Regardless of the charge, the law is that everyone is entitled to a speedy trial,” she said. 

Violent charges that take longer to resolve should be prioritized anyway, she said, because of the trauma they can cause families involved and the work necessary to preserve a case’s integrity. 

‘Rocket docket’ one strategy to consider, according to Carter’s report

Carter wrote that a case management plan coupled with his report could be a start to speeding up disposition.

He also said a plan should be developed to resolve cases that are more than 500 days old. 

“The federal court ‘rocket docket’ model could be used in the instance,” he said. “Of course, it will require the trial courts to conduct trials at a pace far above that which has been the norm for the last year.”

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Originally named for U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, a “rocket docket” generally refers to courts that resolve cases quicker than most.

Carter said fixing issues at the courts would require the combined effort of judges, the district attorney’s office and Memphians.

For judges, Carter said they must ensure that cases aren’t allowed to “drag on.”

For the district attorney’s office, he said prosecutors must be trained to “evaluate cases fairly, prepare them effectively and present them to a jury promptly and persuasively.”

“They must be the ‘people’s attorney,’ especially the victims of crime,” he said. 

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And all community members need to be aware of their constitutional rights.

“At the end of the day, a knowledgeable and vocal public is the most effective mechanism for insuring [sic] that the judges and district attorney effectively protect the community and guarantee their rights as well as those of the accused.”