Is the weighted caseload study legislatively mandated?
As noted in number 1, yes. However, the recommendation for conducting a weighted caseload study originated with the Texas Judicial Council (“Council”), which advocated a more objective and accurate methodology to properly evaluate the workload of the courts. In December 2000, the Council recommended the state seek “the assistance of the National Center for State Courts or some other outside entity to conduct a weighted caseload study.” In May 2001, the 77th Legislature attached a rider to SB 1 (the Appropriations Act) that required the Council to “prepare a report on current district court locations, populations served, docket activity, and other appropriate variables that would inform a legislative determination on the need for creating additional district courts.” In the report [pdf] prepared by the Judicial Council Committee on District Courts, and adopted by the Council in September 2002, it was recommended that the legislature should appropriate the necessary funding to the Office
