“Since her very first day in office, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore has not only stressed, but demanded, excellence…Under [her signature] Excellence Initiative, the New York Courts have dramatically improved their performance in resolution of criminal cases (both felony and misdemeanor), Family Court matters and civil disputes.” Unified Court System 2018 Annual Report.
Chief Administrative Judge Marks told the New York Law Journal on the publication of the Annual Report a few weeks ago, “The program has been a success in all parts of the state and every level of court across the state. The numbers bear that out.” No, they don’t. The Unified Court System’s annual report has 35 pages of articles patting itself on the back for its wonderful efforts spending over $2 billion to reduce caseloads and increasing efficiency for the citizens of New York, albeit at the highest per capita cost of any judiciary. There’s just one problem. The court system never acknowledges the real reason for the “improved performance”: fewer filings every year.
