[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19503-19504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7340]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comments Requested

ACTION: 60-day notice of information collection under review: Civil 
Justice Survey of State Courts 2005.

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    The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), 
has submitted the following information collection request to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed 
information collection is published to obtain comments from the public 
and affected agencies. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 
``sixty days'' until June 13, 2005. This process is conducted in 
accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.
    If you have comments, especially on the estimated public burden or 
associated response time, suggestions, or need a copy of the proposed 
information collection instrument with instructions or additional 
information, please contact: Thomas H. Cohen, (202) 514-8344, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice, 
810 Seventh Street, NW., Washington, DC 20531 of 
[email protected].

[[Page 19504]]

    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are 
encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of the following 
four points:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    Overview of this information collection:
    (1) Type of Information Collection: Existing Collection In Use 
Without an OMB Control Number.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Civil Justice Survey of State 
Courts, 2005.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
Department of Justice sponsoring the collection: Form Number: CJSC. 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: State, Local or Tribal Governments. 
The Civil Justice Survey of State courts, 2005. (CJSC 05) is the only 
collection effort that provides basic information on civil cases 
adjudicated in state trial courts in a sample of the Nation's 75 most 
populous counties. Information collected includes the types of claims 
brought by litigants in civil disputes, plaintiff win rates, 
compensatory and punitive damage awards, case processing time, and post 
verdict activity. The CJSC 05 provides policymakers, researchers, and 
lawyers with an opportunity to examine how civil lawsuits are processed 
in state courts.
    (5) As estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: It is estimated 
that information will be collected on a total of 30,000 civil cases 
from 46 responding counties. Annual cost to the respondents is based on 
the number of hours involved in providing information from court 
records for the jury trial, bench trial, and non-trial data collection 
forms. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average 30 minutes per data collection form. The estimate 
of hour burden is based on prior CJSC surveys.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The estimated public burden associated with this 
collection is 15,000 hours.
    If additional information is required contact: Brenda E. Dyer, 
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Patrick Henry 
Building, Suite 1600, 601 D Street NW., Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: April 7, 2005.
Brenda E. Dyer,
Department Clearance Officer, Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 05-7340 Filed 4-12-05; 8:45 am]
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