Last week, we reviewed the data across the Districts and Divisions of the Appellate Court for yearly average votes to affirm the Appellate Court’s decisions in civil cases before the Supreme Court. This week, we’re looking at votes to affirm in criminal cases.
In Table 943, we report the data for Division One of the First District. Votes to affirm have generally been relatively low. The rate has been four or more in six years (1992, 1997, 1998 and 2008-2010). The rate has been near affirmance – between three and four – in only one year (1993). The votes to affirm has been between zero and two in nine years (1991, 1995, 2007, 2013, 2014 and 2017). The Supreme Court has decided no criminal cases from Division One in nine years (1994, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005-2006, 2012 and 2015).
Division Two’s votes to affirm have been evenly spread across the spectrum. In seven years, votes to affirm was four or more (1995, 1997-1998, 2008-2011 and 2017). In four years, votes to affirm was between three and four (1994, 2007, 2012, 2014). In six years, votes to affirm was between zero and two (1993, 1996, 2001-2002, 2013 and 2016). The Supreme Court decided no criminal cases from Division Two in seven years (1990, 1992, 1999-2000, 2003-2004 and 2006.
Division Three of the First District has also fared fairly well. In eight years, votes to affirm was over four. (1993, 1998-1999, 2003-2004, 2010, 2014, 2016). In six years, votes to affirm was between three and four (2000, 2002, 2012-2013, 2015, 2017). In another five years, votes to affirm was between zero and two (1990-1991, 1994, 2005 and 2008). In only four years of the past twenty-eight has the Court decided no criminal cases from Division Three (1997, 2001, 2007 and 2011).
Votes to affirm in Division Four has clustered on opposite ends of the spectrum. In six years, votes to affirm was four or more (1990, 1992, 1997, 2003, 2014 and 2016). In four years, votes to affirm was between three and four (2005-2006 and 2010-2011). In seven years, votes to affirm was between zero and two (1995-1996, 2000, 2008-2009, 2012-2013.) In nine years, the Court decided no criminal cases from Division Four (1991, 1993-1994, 1998-1999, 2001-2002, 2007 and 2015).
Division Five of the First District has performed strongly in most years. Nine times, its votes to affirm in criminal cases was four or more (1990, 1996, 1999, 2008, 2012-2013 and 2015-2017). In five years, votes to affirm has been between three and four (1994, 2001-2002, 2006 and 2011). In only four years was the votes to affirm between zero and two (1992, 1995 and 2004-2005). The Court decided no criminal cases from Division Five in nine years (1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009-2010 and 2014).
Division Six has averaged four or more votes to affirm in eleven of the past twenty-eight years (1993, 1996, 2000, 2004-2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2017). In two years, votes to affirm was between three and four (1991 and 1994). In six years, votes to affirm was between zero and two (1992, 1998-1999, 2002, 2006 and 2009). The Court has decided no criminal cases from Division Six in seven years (1990, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2016).
Finally, we review the cases from the First District which we were unable to definitively attribute to a particular Division. Votes to affirm for unattributed Divisions was four or more in fifteen years (1991-1993; 1995-1998, 2001, 2004-2005, 2008, 2010-2012 and 2017). Votes to affirm was between three and four in two years (2002 and 2006). Votes to affirm was between zero and two in seven years (1990, 1994, 1999-2000, 2007, 2013 and 2015). There were no unattributable criminal cases from the First District in 2014 or 2016.
Join us back here tomorrow as we review the data from the rest of the state.
Image courtesy of Flickr by Teemu008 (no changes).