U.S. Courts of Appeals Caseload Rose in 12 Months Ending June 30, 2008

Total filings in the U.S. Courts of Appeals rose by 1 percent in the 12 months ending June 30, 2008 — from 58,809 to 59,406.

Civil cases accounted for 24 of the appellate courts’ caseload in that period; criminal cases 22 percent. The largest category of cases — prisoner appeals — accounted for 27 percent of the total.

The caseload had dropped by 14 percent in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2007, as compared to the 12 months ending the previous June 30. There had been five years of increased caseloads before then.