§ 4 §17 — Duties of State Court Administrator

The State Court Administrator, subject to the supervision and direction of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, is responsible for administration and management of the court system. The State Court Administrator shall:
1.
Continuous survey and study.
Carry on a continuous survey and study of the organization, operation, condition of business, practice and procedure of the Judicial Department. The State Court Administrator shall make recommendations to the Chief Justice to improve administration and management of the court system, including recommendations concerning the number of judges and other judicial personnel required for the efficient administration of justice;
1-A.
Long-range planning.
Develop and recommend to the Chief Justice long-range plans for the Judicial Department and operations of the courts;
2.
Examine the status of dockets.
Examine the status of dockets of all courts so as to determine cases and other judicial business that have been unduly delayed. From such reports, the administrator shall indicate which courts are in need of additional judicial personnel and make recommendations to the Chief Justice, to the Chief Justice of the Superior Court and to the Chief Judge of the District Court concerning the assignment or reassignment of personnel to courts that are in need of such personnel. The administrator shall also carry out the directives of the Chief Justice as to the assignment of personnel in these instances;
3.
Investigate complaints.
Investigate complaints with respect to the operation of the courts and relating to court and judicial security. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, complaints and investigative files that relate to court and judicial security are confidential. Nothing in this section precludes dissemination of such information to another criminal justice agency;
4.
Examine statistical systems.
Examine the statistical systems of the courts and make recommendations for a uniform system of judicial statistics. The administrator shall also collect and analyze statistical and other data relating to the business of the courts;
5.
Prescribe uniform administrative and business methods, etc.
Prescribe uniform administrative and business methods, systems, forms, docketing and records to be used in the Supreme Judicial Court, in the Superior Court and in the District Court;
6.
Implement standards and policies set by the Chief Justice.
Implement standards and policies set by the Chief Justice regarding hours of court, the assignment of term parts and justices;
7.
Act as supervisor of fiscal unit.
Act as supervisor of the fiscal unit of the Administrative Office of the Courts and in so doing ensure that the fiscal unit:
8.
Examine arrangements for use and maintenance of court facilities.
Examine the arrangements for the use and maintenance of court facilities and supervise the purchase, distribution, exchange and transfer of judicial equipment and supplies thereof;
9.
Act as secretary.
Act as secretary to the Judicial Conference;
10.
Submit an annual report.
Submit an annual report to the Chief Justice, Legislature and Governor of the activities and accomplishments of the office for the preceding calendar year;
11.
Maintain liaison.
Maintain liaison with the executive and the legislative branches and other public and private agencies whose activities impact the Judicial Department;
12.
Prepare and plan clerical offices.
Prepare and plan for the organization and operation of clerical offices serving the Superior Court and the District Court;
13.
Implement preservice and inservice educational and training programs.
Develop and implement preservice and inservice educational and training programs for nonjudicial personnel of the Judicial Department;
14.
Perform duties and attend other matters.
Perform other duties and attend to other matters consistent with the powers delegated to the State Court Administrator by the Chief Justice and the Supreme Judicial Court;
15.
Provide for court security.
Plan and implement arrangements for safe and secure court premises to ensure the orderly conduct of judicial proceedings.
16.
Report on out-of-state travel.
Submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs a quarterly report on out-of-state travel activity of the Judicial Department. The report must be submitted within 15 days after the end of each quarter and must include, for each individual who has been authorized to travel, the destination, purpose and cost by funding source of each trip;
17.
Statement of fiscal effect on judicial system.
Apply the following requirements when the State Court Administrator prepares statements pertaining to the impact that executive orders and proposed legislation have upon judicial system resources, including the cost or savings to the judicial system. The State Court Administrator, in preparing such impact statements, shall make inquiry of the Chief Justice of the Superior Court, the Chief Judge of the District Court, a statewide association of prosecuting attorneys, a statewide association of criminal defense attorneys, a statewide association of trial attorneys and any other parties, as appropriate, in order to provide the most accurate estimate of the judicial branch impact of such legislation, by fiscal year.
18.
Statewide electronic warrant system.
Establish a secure system for the application, issuance and return of arrest warrants and search warrants that is electronic and that provides access to authorized users statewide.

Legislative History

PL 1975, c. 408, §§5-A (NEW). PL 1977, c. 544, §§1-6 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 269, §§1-4,9 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 137, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 776, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 324 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 570, §1 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 622, §§L4-6 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 885, §E3 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 885, §E47 (AFF). PL 1993, c. 675, §§C2-9 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 560, §I1 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 24, §§II1,2 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 400, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. YYY, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 597, §2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. TT, §1 (AMD). RR 2011, c. 1, §2 (COR). PL 2021, c. 684, §§1-3 (AMD).