‘Tis the season for candy canes, snowstorms and end-of-the-year roundups. Court reform in 2013 hasn’t often been front-page news, but there have been a number of important developments. Although some followed scandal, others were the result of hard work by judges, lawyers and lawmakers.

Below are some notable examples of statewide court-reform policy developments in 2013.

The Conviction of Joan Orie Melvin