Reform of the Courts

Discontent Over Breakdowns in Judicial System

The nation's courts are often cited as the prime example of what is seen as a spreading breakdown of American life. Along with jammed telephone lines and clogged highways, courtroom delays are taken as evidence that many institutions are failing to keep abreast of the growing demands that changing times have thrust upon them. It is widely argued that the courts were designed for a stable, rural society and have not adapted to today's mobile, urban society. They appear unable to cope with the ever-mounting load of litigation that accompanies the increase in crime, the growing number of automobile accidents, the rising divorce rate and other aspects of the population expansion. Many thoughtful observers ...