The FY 2003 Budget And the Federal Judiciary

The Judiciary’s Fiscal Year 2003 budget was finally enacted in February 2003, barely a month before
Congress was scheduled to hold hearings on the Judiciary’s Fiscal Year 2004 budget. "We did reasonably well considering the constrained fiscal environment in which Congress is operating," Administrative Office Director Leonidas Ralph Mecham said of the Judiciary’s share of the $397 billion spending bill. The Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference now is considering the final FY 2003 financial plans for the courts of appeals, district courts and other judicial services. Their determinations will replace the interim financial plans approved last September.

At the beginning of FY 2003, as a result of working under a continuing resolution, the courts were asked to operate at rates of operation no more than 95 percent of their FY 2002 allotment levels.
Although intended as a short-term measure until Congress enacted either a long-term continuing resolution or a full-year appropriation, this limitation now has been in effect for nearly half of the current fiscal year. Given the possibility of continuing scarce appropriations for FY 2004, current belt-tightening may become the norm for the expected lean years to come.

Approximately 95 percent of the FY 2003 budget will fund the courts of appeals, district courts, and other judicial services. The remaining 5 percent is divided among the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of International Trade, the Administrative Office, the Federal Judicial Center, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and payments to the Judiciary Trust Fund.

Of the 95 percent earmarked for the courts of appeals, district courts, and other judicial services, 81 percent is allocated to court salaries and expenses; 12 percent is for the operation of federal public defender and community defender organizations, compensation for private attorneys representing indigent defendants, and fees of persons providing investigative, expert, and other services under the Criminal Justice Act; 6 percent of the funds provides for court security, including the procurement, installation, and maintenance of security equipment and protective services; and 1 percent pays for fees and expenses of jurors.

FY 2003 Judiciary Appropriation
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
Account	FY 2002 Adjusted	FY 2003 Request*	FY 2003 Appropriation**	% Increase 2003 Over 2002
U.S Supreme Court
Salaries & Expenses	$40,036	$50,192	$45,458	+13.5%
Care of Building and Grounds	53,113	53,626	41,355	-22.1
U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit	19,345	22,033	20,195	+4.4
U.S Court of International Trade	13,103	13,835	13,609	+3.9
Courts of Appeals, District Courts & Other Judicial Services
Salaries & Expenses	3,594,316	3,950,426	3,779,781	+5.2
Defender Services	500,671	570,144	534,961	+6.8
Fees of Jurors	48,131	54,636	54,281	+12.8
Court Security	252,798	286,235	266,655	-5.5
Administration Office	61,664	66,912	63,087	+2.3
Federal Judicial Center	20,135	22,039	20,720	+2.9
Judiciary Retirement Funds	37,000	35,300	35,300	-4.6
U.S. Sentencing Commision	11,575	13,295	12,011	+3.8
Total, The Judiciary	$4,651,887	$5,138,673	$4,887,413	+5.1%
*October 2002 re-estimate **Reflects .65% across-the-board reduction