2023年经济学人 法官短缺致使案件堆积（2）（在线收听）

    Even without the pandemic, a generational flip was under way.

    即使没有疫情，代际转换也在进行中。

    That has led to calls to raise the retirement age from 70 to 75, to relieve the pressure.

    这导致人们呼吁将退休年龄从70岁提高到75岁，以缓解压力。

    But Mr McGoughran says more than 50% of those leaving are retiring early, “which says to me they are not enjoying judging”.

    但麦古夫兰先生表示，超过50%的离职员工会提前退休，“这在我看来，他们并不喜欢审判别人”。

    Those judges who remain are burnt out.

    那些留下来的法官已经筋疲力尽了。

    “It is a cascading problem,” says Danielle Hirsch of the National Centre for State Courts (NCSC).

    “这是一个连锁问题，”国家法院中心的丹尼尔·赫希说。

    New Jersey is not the only state that is feeling the pinch.

    新泽西州并不是唯一一个感到人手拮据的州。

    Maine also has a shortage.

    缅因州也出现了法官短缺。

    Maine’s chief justice recently said that she met a judge who was discouraged “because she cannot make headway regardless of how many cases she jams into dockets or how late she works.”

    缅因州的首席大法官最近说，她遇到了一位灰心丧气的法官，“因为无论她把多少案件塞到案宗里，或者工作到多晚，她都无法取得进展。”

    Poor pay plays a role in recruitment and retention: Maine’s judges are among the lowest-paid in the country.

    低薪在难以招聘和留住法官方面发挥了不小的作用：缅因州是全国法官薪酬最低的州之一。

    The state also has a shortage of court staff.

    该州也缺少法院工作人员。

    Clerks work nights and weekends to catch up.

    职员们晚上和周末都需要加班以赶上进度。

    Amy Quinlan, Maine’s court administrator, says the pandemic revealed that courts were struggling; it is now abundantly clear that more help is needed.

    缅因州法院行政官艾米·昆兰表示，疫情揭露了法院举步维艰的状况; 很明显，该州现在需要更多的帮助。

    Other states are also suffering from staff shortages.

    其他州也面临着员工短缺的问题。

    The gaps include court reporters, interpreters, attorneys, clerks and police.

    空缺人员包括法庭记录员、口译员、律师、书记员和警察。

    The NCSC found that 14 state chief justices raised staff shortages and the need for pay raises to recruit and retain talent as the most pressing issues facing state courts.

    国家法院中心发现，14名州首席大法官曾提出，州法院面临的最紧迫问题是员工短缺以及加薪招聘并留住人才。

    Courts in Louisiana, Missouri and North Dakota have had to close or reduce hours.

    路易斯安那州、密苏里州和北达科他州的法院不得不关闭或缩短工作时间。

    The turnover rate for court staff in Florida has more than doubled since the 2020-21 financial year.

    自2020-21财政年度以来，佛罗里达州法院工作人员的离职率增加了一倍多。

    In New York, the acting chief judge said during his state-of-the-judiciary message this year that “staffing shortages slow down our dockets and burden our already-strained workforce.”

    在纽约，代理首席法官在他今年的司法状况咨文中说，“人员短缺减缓了我们的诉讼进度，加重了我们本已紧张的工作人员的负担。”

    These troubles are causing cases to remain on hold for long periods.

    这些麻烦导致案件长时间被搁置。

    A backlog in criminal cases will make it hard for states to meet their constitutional obligations.

    积压的刑事案件将使各州难以履行其宪法义务。

    The Sixth Amendment requires that the accused “shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial”.

    第六修正案规定被告“应享有迅速和公开审判的权利”。

    Lately, there is nothing speedy about trials.

    然而最近的审判没有迅速的。