Who are the courtroom work group members?

Question

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

Answer 1

Judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys are representatives from separate, independent sponsoring institutions. They are drawn together by a common task. As a result, courthouse regulars work together cooperatively on a daily basis in ways not envisioned by the formal adversary model (Jacob, 1991; Lichtenstein, 1984; Lynch & Evans, 2002; Metcalfe, 2016). Indeed, in problem-solving courts, such cooperation forms the philosophical backbone for the courts’ existence (Berman & Feinblatt, 2015; Worrall & Nugent-Borakove, 2008). To understand the extent as well as the limits of this cooperation, you need to examine why courtroom work groups form in the first place and their impact on the administration of justice. Each of the courthouse regulars is a representative of a sponsoring institution, which hires and fires them, monitors their activities, and rewards their performance. None of these actors can perform his or her tasks independently; they must work together. These interactions are critical because none of the courthouse regulars can make decisions independently; each must consider the reactions of others.