Create a Diagram and SWOT analysis of a proposed reorganization of the District and Municipal Court
Instructions
Local municipal jurisdictions are reconsidering their decision to operate their own court system, rather than depend upon county district and superior courts. Called a cash-grab by some, local jurisdictions believed initially that they could recover much of the cost of operating the system through fines and other assessments rather than contract with the county and pay negotiated fees. For some municipal jurisdictions, the separation has been profitable. In other cases, not so much.
While the separation might be about money, some municipal jurisdictions disagree philosophically with their county counterpart over traditional court structures. For example, some municipalities prefer to offer Early Case Resolution (ECR) to eligible first-time non-violent felony offenders. This allows offenders to enroll in treatment programs rather than face trial. Where the offender bears most of the cost, it is very inexpensive for the municipality. Many county courts do not offer this option, so it motivates municipalities to break from them. There are unintended consequences, however. Usually, the local private attorney community thrives economically defending Class 3 non-violent offenders. With ECR, Class 3 non-violent offenders now require no representation. Local attorneys must now fight for business defending less frequent cases of violence.
Assignment Instructions:
For this assignment, you are a policy advisor for a city council person. You have been asked to complete a SWOT analysis of the idea of not renewing the contract with the county over court services and creating a new municipal court. While you should assume that the creation of such a court is legal, there are indeed implications to creating local ordinances. You should consider these while you construct your SWOT analysis. While this plan is still in its infancy, the council person wants you to present a diagram of the new organizational municipal court structure and a memorandum outlining how this process will be organized and how it might operate to deliver a more refined, less expensive outcome. You may use a court structure from your immediate area or jurisdiction. Or, you may search the endless municipal court organizational charts found on the Internet. You may also use Microsoft Office SmartArt to create the diagram or other free trial software packages such as SmartDraw or RFFlow. The SWOT analysis may be single-spaced in office memorandum format. You should, however, cite your sources when supporting examples, costs, and benefits.
Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University’s Academic Integrity Policy. View the Northcentral Academic Integrity Tutorial to refresh your knowledge of how to achieve academic integrity.
Length: Diagram with a 2-page SWOT analysis
References: Include a minimum of five scholarly resources.
Your essay should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts that are presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect graduate-level writing and APA standards. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University’s Academic Integrity Policy.