Judiciary News
Incarceration Costs Significantly More than Supervision
Published onAugust 17, 2017
The annual cost of detaining federal prisoners before trial and after sentencing is significantly higher than the cost of supervision in the community, according to recent figures by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Court Interpreters Deliver Justice in All Languages
Published onAugust 10, 2017
In federal courthouses across the United States, access to justice requires the use of languages spoken around the globe.
Paper Reduction Saves Space, Cuts Costs
Published onAugust 3, 2017
The judiciary has made it a mission to reduce space and cost, all while improving efficiency. A new U.S. Courts video shows how the Judiciary is reducing building space by storing files electronically, eliminating the need for large rooms to shelve paper documents.
Mandatory Minimum Sentences Decline, Sentencing Commission Says
Published onJuly 25, 2017
The number of federal prison inmates sentenced under mandatory minimum laws decreased by 14 percent from 2010 to 2016, although they still make up more than half of all federal inmates, according to a new report by the United States Sentencing Commission.
June 2017 Bankruptcy Filings Down 2.8 Percent
Published onJuly 21, 2017
Bankruptcy filings fell 2.8 percent for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017, compared with the year ending June 30, 2016, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Drug Trade Fuels Federal Prison Population
Published onJuly 12, 2017
Nearly half of all inmates in federal prison were convicted of drug-related offenses, and most inmates are young, minority men, according to the latest research of incarcerated federal offenders from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
A Snapshot of Bankruptcy Filers in 2016
Published onJuly 6, 2017
Consumers filing for bankruptcy in 2016 reported aggregated assets of $72 billion and aggregated total liabilities of $191 billion, a decline from the previous year, according to an annual report filed by the Judiciary with Congress.
2016 Wiretap Report: Federal Orders Rise, State Totals Fall
Published onJune 28, 2017
An annual Judiciary report on wiretaps showed a sharp divergence between federal and state courts, with federal courts reporting a 11 percent increase in authorized wiretaps in 2016, compared to 2015, and state courts reporting a 41 percent decline.
Judges Host Teachers for Summer Seminars
Published onJune 22, 2017
As teachers bid farewell to their students for the summer, federal courts are offering them a chance to spend the dog days in hands-on, interactive professional development seminars in the courtroom.
Courts of Appeals Help Lead Space Reduction Push
Published onJune 15, 2017
The 12 regional Courts of Appeals are playing an outsized role in helping the federal Judiciary to achieve its five-year goal for reducing courthouse and office space.
Scams Target Citizens with False Jury Service Claims
Published onJune 8, 2017
Recent scams in federal courts in South Carolina and Virginia are typical of the fraudsters.
Federal Judiciary Seeks Funds to Support Court Operations in Coming Year
Published onMay 17, 2017
Representatives of the federal Judiciary today asked Congress to provide $7.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2018 to fund the continuing operations of the judicial branch, as well as to enhance cybersecurity, adequately provide for funds for counsel for indigent defendants, and to ensure sufficient security at federal courthouses.
Interactive Database Aids the Study of Judiciary Trends
Published onMay 16, 2017
A recently enhanced database that houses information about civil and criminal federal cases dating to 1970 is now available to researchers and the public on the Federal Judicial Center’s website as part of a partnership with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Judging an Injustice: During Asian Heritage Month, Japanese Internments Are Recalled
Published onMay 11, 2017
In the first months after Japanese bombs fell on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Atsushi Wallace Tashima’s life wasn’t much different from that of other young Americans. Like others in his ethnically mixed Los Angeles neighborhood, Tashima’s family draped their windows at night, to protect against America’s new wartime enemies. But the Tashimas soon were branded, solely because of their ethnic heritage, as potential spies and saboteurs. By presidential order, 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast were uprooted from their homes, and shipped off to internment camps.
Federal Courts Using Technology to Improve Juror Experience
Published onMay 5, 2017
In a concerted effort to make it easier for people to serve as jurors, the federal Judiciary is embracing technologies aimed at reducing wait times, paperwork, and trips to the courthouse.