Memorandum

To:	Presiding Judge Marion T. Pope, Jr.
From:	William L. Martin, III
Subject:	Caseload Statistics
Date:	April 10, 1998

Attached please find a copy of the caseload summary for the Court of Appeals from the years 1987-1997. The average number of cases per judge in 1996, the last year we docketed to nine judges was 282 cases per judge. This was down from our all time high in 1995 of 320 cases per judge.

In 1997, after the addition of the tenth judge, the average number of cases dropped to 260 cases per judge. In other words, the addition of Judge Eldridge to the Court lessened the load per judge on direct appeals by 22 cases per judge a year, or, approximately seven per term.

As you surmised, while every little bit helps, the overall impact was minimal.

Interlocutory and discretionary applications are still divided among nine judges. The chief judge does not receive applications, so for 90% of the Court, the addition of the tenth judge has no effect on applications.

Since Senior Judge Banke has worked with the Court as a sitting senior judge, 63 of 1996 cases and 72 of 1997 cases have been assigned to him to author from other judges offices. Under the Court's procedures for assigning cases to Senior Judge Banke , the cases are randomly assigned to him by the clerk's office, that is, the judges' offices have no input as to which cases Judge Banke gets. Additionally, for every case Judge Banke authors, he votes on two other cases, the same as the judges who sit on this Court.

If you have any further questions about these statistics, please let me know.

Attachment