TIMESAVERS: Although courts around the country report...

TIMESAVERS: Although courts around the country report unprecedented backlogs, lawsuits filed in Orange County Superior Court since last year are taking only 18 months to be tried, about half as long as before. . . . That’s due to a new county program called Civil Case Management. Its key elements: a strict policy on delays and firm trial dates. Also, the same judge stays with the case throughout. . . . “If judges are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of cases, they can keep on track,” says William K. Stinson, court staff analyst.