Vol. 36, Number 8—August 2004

Financial Plan Includes Cost-Containment Proposals

The Judicial Conference Executive Committee met in Washington in July to review the proposed preliminary fiscal year 2005 financial plan for the federal courts, including the accounts for Salaries and Expenses, Defenders Services, Court Security, and Fees of Jurors and Commissioners. The plan incorporated a number of the cost-containment ideas formulated by Judicial Conference committees. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of the FY 2005 appropriations, the Committee considered and ultimately approved two possible financial plans, one in case of a hard freeze in funding at FY 2004 levels, and a second plan based on a 4 percent funding increase over the FY 2004 levels. The Committee also discussed the cost-containment strategy to be presented to the Conference at its September 2004 session. All members of the Executive Committee participated: Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King (5th Cir.), Chief Judge Michael Boudin (1st Cir.), Chief Judge Joel M. Flaum (7th Cir.), Judge J. Owen Forrester (N.D. Ga.), Chief Judge Thomas F. Hogan (D.D.C.), Judge David L. Russell (W.D. Okla.), Chief Judge John M. Walker, Jr. (2nd Cir.), and Administrative Office Director Leonidas Ralph Mecham.