Monday numbers: How much the NC judicial system spends in a year and what it buys

Every year, the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts releases an annual report detailing its budget, programs and highlights from the previous year. The 2018-19 annual report was released this week. Below are some of the featured numbers:

$553.2 million – Total judicial branch budget for FY 18-19

91.8% – Amount that goes toward salaries and benefits, including  28.8% to election judicial officials, magistrates and appointed officials

8.2% – Amount for judicial branch operations, with 87% of that to local court operations

<1% – Amount  collected by the courts in fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution and civil judgements  that stays with the court system

140 – Number of appeals the North Carolina Supreme Court docketed

92 – Appeals the Supreme Court disposed of

7 – Number of Supreme Court justices

2,062 – Appeals/petitions filed in the North Carolina Court of Appeals

2,133 – Appeals/petitions disposed of by the Court of Appeals

15 – Number of Court of Appeals judges

248,126 – Total cases filed in Superior Courts across the state

290,806 – Cases disposed of by Superior Courts

107 — Number of Superior Court judges

2,253,949 – Total cases filed in District Courts across the state

3,474,315 –Cases disposed by District Courts

273 – Number of District Court judges

672 – Of magistrates in North Carolina

5,551 — District Court cases settled in mediation

10,025 — Child custody cases mediated

43 – Number of district attorneys in FY 18-19

17 – Of public defenders

545 – Number of elected officials in the judicial system in FY 18-19

6,421 – Public servants in the judicial system

1 in 4 – County residents that visit a judicial clerk’s office annually

71% – Percentage of families that experience at least one civil legal problem in a given year

8,000 to 1 – Ratio of North Carolinians eligible for civil legal services to legal aid attorneys

2,500 – Cases reviewed by the Innocence Inquiry Commission

*The full report containing this information can be viewed online.