Judiciary News

In a congressional hearing on sequestration and the courts, a U.S. judge, federal defender and a private lawyer warned Senators that continued budget cuts would devastate the nation’s system of justice—threatening public safety, constitutional rights and economic well-being.

A federal judge today told a Senate panel that the number of personnel working in U.S. courts is at the lowest level since 1999, and that federal court clerks and probation and pretrial services staff could be furloughed for close to 70,000 hours this fiscal year.

The City of Detroit has declared bankruptcy under Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 9 provides for reorganization of municipalities, which includes cities and towns, as well as villages, counties, taxing districts, municipal utilities, and school districts

In 2012, the cost of placing an offender in a Bureau of Prisons institution or federal residential reentry center was roughly eight times the cost of placing the same offender under post-conviction supervision by a federal probation officer.

A new guide on international commercial arbitration written for U.S. federal judges is now available online. In less than 100 pages, it offers a practical overview of a complicated area of law that has become the preferred means of resolving cross-border business disputes.

A computer virus that locks up personal computers, and then issues a demand for money from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Courts, is a scam and has no link to the courts or other federal agencies.

In calendar year 2012, a total of 3,395 orders authorizing the interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications, or wiretaps, were approved by state and federal judges. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) is required by statute to report to Congress the number of federal and state applications for orders authorizing or approving wiretaps.

PACER has seen a sharp rise in overall user satisfaction since a comparable survey was conducted in 2009, with 90 percent of users saying they are satisfied or highly satisfied with the internet-based public case information system.

In July, the American Judicature Society (AJS) celebrates its 100th year of advocacy on behalf of the courts. AJS President Dennis Courtland Hayes discusses his organization’s history and advocacy, including a recent statement urging more funding for the federal Judiciary.

Standing in the heart of the Aztec Ruins National Monument in northwest New Mexico, Chief Judge M. Christina Armijo of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico administered the Oath of Allegiance this month to ten new citizens of the United States.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. has appointed U.S. District Judge John D. Bates as Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Throughout May, federal courts brought students together under the umbrella of this year's Law Day theme, "Realizing the Dream: Equality for All."

Seeking to contain costs and improve efficiency, federal courts are developing plans to voluntarily share administrative services, as explained in a Third Branch News story and Judiciary Now video.

The Judicial Conference of the United States has requested $72.9 million in emergency funding, saying that a supplemental appropriation is needed to "address critical needs resulting from sequestration cuts."

A Judiciary initiative is rewarding courts for reducing their space needs, which will save on future space rental costs. One of the Judiciary's biggest cost-containment successes to date has been in limiting the growth in space rent costs.