Judiciary News
March 2017 Bankruptcy Filings Down 4.7 Percent
Published onApril 19, 2017
Bankruptcy filings fell 4.7 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2017, compared with the year ending March 31, 2016, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Judiciary Seeks Bankruptcy Judgeships, Warns of ‘Crisis’
Published onApril 7, 2017
Warning that federal bankruptcy courts face a “debilitating workload crisis” in Delaware and eight other districts, the U.S. Judicial Conference has urged Congress to authorize four new bankruptcy judgeships and convert 14 temporary judgeships into permanent positions.
Website Promotes Access to Judiciary Information
Published onApril 4, 2017
The history and workings of the U.S. court system can now be explored with a variety of easy-to-navigate and interactive tools available on the Federal Judicial Center’s revamped website. The site, which launched this week, is aimed at providing more information in engaging ways to judicial history buffs, academics and researchers, court personnel, and just about anyone with an interest in the Third Branch.
Probation and Pretrial Officers Train at State-of-the-Art Facility
Published onMarch 30, 2017
For its graduates, the Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy in Charleston, S.C., is often a life-changing experience. In this video, students and instructors discuss and also demonstrate the intensive new officer training that takes place at the academy, which covers everything from establishing meaningful relationships with defendants and offenders to responding to dangerous encounters.
Courts, Justice Department Join Forces to Collect Offenders’ Debts
Published onMarch 23, 2017
When a defendant is convicted of a crime in federal court, he or she owes many debts to society. In addition to likely prison time, offenders may be required to pay thousands of dollars in restitution, fines, and special assessments after sentencing.
AO Releases Annual Report and Court Statistics
Published onMarch 14, 2017
The year 2016 was a time of innovation and progress at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), the agency reported today in two releases detailing its activities and programs over the 12-month period.
Judicial Conference Asks Congress to Create New Judgeships
Published onMarch 14, 2017
The Judicial Conference of the United States today agreed to recommend to Congress the creation of 57 new Article III judgeships in the courts of appeals and district courts. If an omnibus judgeship bill is enacted into law, it would be first new comprehensive judgeship legislation to take effect in more than 26 years.
Judges Highlighted for Women’s History Month
Published onMarch 9, 2017
The stories of six federal judges, who overcame various obstacles on their paths to the bench, are highlighted as part of the U.S. courts’ observance of Women’s History Month.
An Inside Look at the Jury Experience
Published onMarch 2, 2017
The role of the jury in protecting the rights of Americans in criminal and civil cases is the focus of a U.S. Courts video discussion featuring two U.S. district judges, a clerk of court, and a law professor and author on the jury process.
New AO Deputy Director Named
Published onFebruary 23, 2017
Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., announced the appointment of Lee Ann Bennett, the clerk of the Bankruptcy Court of the Middle District of Florida, as the new deputy director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Moments In History: Remembering Thurgood Marshall
Published onFebruary 16, 2017
Thurgood Marshall was one of the country's greatest jurists and civil rights advocates, but he was also a gifted storyteller who liked to leaven even a serious tale with a sprinkling of humor.
Judiciary Praises Bill to Protect Probation Officers
Published onFebruary 15, 2017
Calling it a “modest but much-needed reform,” the chair of the Judicial Conference’s Criminal Law Committee has urged Congress to protect federal probation officers, by giving them the legal authority to give orders to, and arrest if needed, anyone obstructing them from performing their official duties.
Federal Probation Sharpens Tools for Detecting Violent Offenders
Published onFebruary 9, 2017
Expanding an approach that has helped lower recidivism by federal offenders under supervision, probation officials are seeking to better protect the public by using actuarial data to help them identify those offenders most likely to become violent.
2nd Circuit Mounts Effort to Build Civics Awareness
Published onFebruary 2, 2017
For years, polls have shown widespread ignorance of how government works, with courts and the Constitution faring especially poorly in the public consciousness. But federal courts throughout the Second Circuit, which includes New York, Connecticut and Vermont, have launched an ambitious program to change that.
Bankruptcy Filings Fall 5.9%, Reach Lowest Level Since 2006
Published onJanuary 25, 2017
During the 12-month period ending December 31, 2016, 794,960 cases were filed in federal bankruptcy courts, down from the 844,495 bankruptcy cases filed in calendar year 2015—a 5.9 percent drop in filings.