This week, we’re wrapping up our analysis of unanimity and votes to affirm in cases not affirmed unanimously.  First up, the likelihood, District by District, that civil decisions will be affirmed unanimously for the years 2010 to 2020.

In 2010, 60% of decisions from Division Four of the First were affirmed unanimously, as were half of decisions from Division One and one third from Division Three and the Third District.  In 2011, four courts had half their decisions affirmed unanimously – the Second and Third Districts and Divisions Two and Four of the First.  In 2012, half the decisions from Division Five of the First were unanimously affirmed, but otherwise, only the Fourth District (25%) and Division Six of the First (20%) had any unanimous affirmances.  In 2013, it was nearly as rough – half unanimous affirmances from the Third District, a third from the Second, a quarter from Division Six of the First and one-fifth from the Fourth District.  Otherwise, no unanimous affirmances for anyone.  In 2014, all the decisions from the Third District were unanimously affirmed.  Two-thirds from Division Five were, and half the decisions from the Fourth District were unanimously affirmed.  In 2015, all decisions from Division One of the First were unanimously affirmed.  Three-quarters of Second District decisions were, sixty percent from the Fourth District, and half the decisions from Division Two and Division Four of the First District were unanimously affirmed.

In 2016, one hundred percent of decisions from Divisions One and Six of the First District and the Fourth District were unanimously affirmed.  In 2017, all decisions from Division Six were again affirmed.  In 2018, all the decisions from Division Four were unanimously affirmed and half of the decisions from Division Five and the Fifth District were.  In 2019, all decisions from Division Six were unanimously affirmed.  In 2020, two-thirds of decisions from the Second District were unanimously affirmed and half the decisions from Divisions Two, Three and Four were.

Join us back here next time as we review the data for votes to affirm.

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