Case Disposition in the Drug Court: Who is the Most Central Actor?

Abstract:     
In recent years, the number of drug courts has proliferated throughout the country. One widely held belief is that the central figure in a drug court is the judge. While the judge may be the central actor in the courtroom, what is not clear is whether the drug court judge is the most central actor in the actual disposition of cases. This article presents the findings of a research project that asked actors participating in staffing about the centrality of the drug court judge. I found that while the drug court judge is a central actor, the most central actor in the drug court case disposition process is likely determined by management tasks and responsibility levels assigned to actors participating in the process.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 23

Keywords: Drug Courts, Judges, Case Disposition, Central Actor, Court Management

Accepted Paper Series