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Criminal Appeals Statistics

I. Total Criminal Appeals Decided: 1968 to 1984
Years Ending June 30

 
Year
Total Criminal Appeals Decided
Granted
Denied
% Denied
1. 1968-69 736     51     685     93
2. 1969-70 713     41     672     94
3. 1970-71 685     55     630     92
4. 1971-72 826     54     772     93
5. 1972-73 814     54     760     93
6. 1973-74 995     66     929     93
7. 1974-75 1,096     57     1,039     95
8. 1975-76 1,347     44     1,303     97
9. 1976-77* 1,356     74     1,282     95
10. 1977-78 1,572     118     1,454     92
11. 1978-79 1,502     80     1,422     95
12. 1979-80 1,539     80     1,459     95
13. 1980-81 1,597     110     1,487     93
14. 1981-82 1,744     130     1,614     93
15. 1982-83 1,653     125     1,528     92
16. 1983-84 1,468     132     1,336     91

*Rose Bird was confirmed as Chief Justice on March 11, 1977.
 Statistics derived from the Annual Reports of the Judicial Council of California, 1969 to 1985.

AMA Commentary

This chart shows the increase in the total number of criminal appeals decided by the California Supreme Court, the number of appeals granted and denied, and the percentage of appeals denied between 1969 and fiscal 1984. The concurrence of at least four justices is necessary before a case can be accepted for a hearing and decision.1

II. Criminal Appeals, Not Including Criminal Original Proceedings: 1968 to 1984
Years Ending June 30

 
Year
Total Criminal Appeals Decided
Granted
Denied
% Denied
1. 1968-69 665     47     648     93
2. 1969-70 641     34     607     95
3. 1970-71 624     49     575     92
4. 1971-72 741     48     693     94
5. 1972-73 770     48     722     94
6. 1973-74 915     44     871     95
7. 1974-75 1,029     52     977     95
8. 1975-76 1,077     35     1,042     97
9. 1976-77* 1,033     61     972     94
10. 1977-78 1,170     97     1,073     92
11. 1978-79 1,109     66     1,043     94
12. 1979-80 1,100     35     1,065     97
13. 1980-81 1,132     68     1,064     94
14. 1981-82 1,151     56     1,095     95
15. 1982-83 1,072     73     999     93
16. 1983-84 993     88     905     91
*Rose Bird was confirmed as Chief Justice on March 11, 1977.
 Statistics derived from the Annual Reports of the Judicial Council of California, 1969 to 1985.

AMA Commentary

This chart shows the number of criminal appeals, excluding original proceedings, decided by the California Supreme Court between fiscal 1969 and fiscal 1984.

III. Criminal Appeals/Criminal Original Proceedings, Not Including All Other Criminal Appeals: 1968 to 1984
Years Ending June 30

 
Year
Total Criminal Original Proceedings Decided
Granted
Denied
% Denied
1. 1968-69 71     4     67     94
2. 1969-70 72     7     65     90
3. 1970-71 61     6     55     90
4. 1971-72 85     6     79     93
5. 1972-73 44     6     38     86
6. 1973-74 80     22     58     73
7. 1974-75 67     5     62     93
8. 1975-76 270     9     261     97
9. 1976-77* 323     13     310     96
10. 1977-78 402     21     381     95
11. 1978-79 393     14     379     96
12. 1979-80 439     45     394     90
13. 1980-81 465     42     423     91
14. 1981-82 593     74     519     88
15. 1982-83 581     52     529     91
16. 1983-84 475     44     431     91
*Rose Bird was confirmed as Chief Justice on March 11, 1977.
 Statistics derived from the Annual Reports of the Judicial Council of California, 1969 to 1985.

AMA Commentary

This chart shows the number of original proceedings decided by the California Supreme Court between fiscal 1969 and fiscal 1984, exclusive of all other criminal appeals. According to the Judicial Council of California, criminal original proceedings are original writs which must be evaluated by the Supreme Court to determine if they present questions of substantial merit, and they impose a heavy workload on the court.

1 Supreme Court of California: Practices and Procedures, p. 15.

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