Judicial Vacancies - Trial Courts in Trouble

7/28/2019 Judicial Vacancies - Trial Courts in Trouble

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Federal Judicial Vacancies:

Te rial Courts

By Alicia Bannon

Brennan Center for Justiceat New York University School of Law

ANALYSIS


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ABOUT THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE

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ACkNOwlEDGEMENTS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alicia Bannon B C D P, j

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I C L G P.C. N, N.J.,

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Analsis 2

I. District Court Vacancies Are at Historicall Unsustainable Levels 2

II. District Court Workloads Are Reaching New Heights 5

III. Judicial Emergencies Hit Record High 7

Conclusion 8

Endnotes 9


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Federal Judicial Vacancies: the trial courts | 1

IntroductIon

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Breaking with historical patterns, district court vacancies have remained high throughout Barack

Obamas presidency. D ,

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since 1992, the average number o district court vacancies has been greater than 60 or fve straight

years, rom 2009-2013.

Together, high vacancy levels and heavy caseloads are leaving sitting judges with unprecedented

workloads. C - j - j,

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Vacancies are hurting districts with the greatest needs. J ,

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2 | Brennan center For Justice

ANALySIS

I. District Court Vacancies Are at Historicall Unsustainable Levels

Figure 1

93

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71

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69

53

42

47

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31

23

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31

61

84

75

6366

0.0

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60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

The Emptying Bench4

Annual Average District Court Vacancies 1992-2013

AverageJudicialVacancies

74 new seats (1990)

19 new seats (1999-2000)

15 new seats (2003)

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Figure 2

The Vacancy Gap6

Total Vacancies By Month in Office

Months in Office

um

ero

acancies

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.

2001-2005

2009-2013

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Figure 3

Declining Numbers14

Average Number of District Court Judges (Active and Part-Time Senior)

Year

AverageNum

berofJudges

750

770

790

810

830

860

760

780

800

830

850

2003-2008

802

2009-2012

852

778

Additional JudgesIf Vacancies Filled


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II. District Court Workloads Are Reaching New Heights

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Figure 4

Fewer Judges, More Work16

Average Number of Pending Cases Per Sitting Judge

1992-2012

Year

300

350

400

450

500

550

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Pending Cases Per Judge

Pending Cases With Vacancies Filled

Pending Cases With New Judgeships Added

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Figure 5

No New Judgeships Since 2003

Additional Judgeships Authorized B Congress Since 1960

Permanent Judgeships Added Temporar Judgeships Added

Temporar Judgeships

Converted to Permanent

1961 6 4

1966 3 5

1970 58 3 4

1978 3 4

1984 53 8

1990 6 3 8

1999 9

2000

2002 (took efect in 2003) 8 7 4

Authorized Judgeships in 1960:4 , 4

Authorized Judgeships in 2012:667 ,

last majorincrease

most recentincrease


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III. Judicial Emergencies Hit Record High

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Figure 6

Code Red24

Annual Average Number of Vacancies Declared Judicial Emergencies

2002-2013

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

18

12

11

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27

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CONCLUSION

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6 SeeA O U S C, supra 4 ( j ). D

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7 SeeRussell Wheeler, Brookings Institution, Judicial Nominations and Confirmations after

hree Years Where Do hings Stand? 2 (2012), available at://../~//

/////3%%/3__..

8 SeeBarryJ. McMillion, Congressional Research Service, President Obamas First-erm U.S.Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Analysis and Comparison with Presidents Since

Reagan (3) (P O

, j P R R).

9 See Id. 4-5 (P O

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SeeAlliance for Justice, he State of the Judiciary: Judicial Selection At the Beginning of

President Obamas Second erm (3), available at://../j-/--

-j--3..

EndnotES


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SeeA J, J V W N (J 3, 3), available at://..

/j-/j---. ( J , 3).

SeeH. F B, Senior Status: An Active Senior Judge Corrects Some Common Misunderstandings,

9 Cornell L. Rev. 533, 54 (7) ( j x 5 j , ); S B. B ., Leaving the Bench,

1970-2009: Te Choices Federal Judges Make, What Infuences Tose Choices, And Teir Consequences, 6 U.

Pa. L. Rev. , 9 () ( j x 63

j ). T A j - j;

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3 N, , j, j -

- , , 583 3 64 ( -

- j, j ). SeeAdministrative Office Of

he United States Courts, Judicial Business Of he United States Courts (997 ), .U.S. M J P Az J C, available at://..

/S/JB/.x. A , j

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4 Administrative Office of the United States Courts, supra 3, . S A III J

P. Y S 3. j j

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j. See J C J R (M. 3), available at ://.

.//JJ//j-..

6 G j ( -

j). D j Administrative Office of the United States

Courts, supra 3, . S A III J P. D A

O U S C, F C M S (997 ), available at

://../S/FCMS/FCMS_

A.x. Y S 3. C .


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7 A j , 486 99 64 (

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Administrative Office of the United States Courts, supra 3, . U.S. M J P

Az J C. C .

8 SeeA O U S C, F C M S (997

), supra 6; Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Judicial Business of the

United States Courts: District Court Summary(), available at://../S/

JB//--.x; Administrative Office of the United States Courts,

Judicial Business of the United States Courts Summary7 (), available at://..

//S/JB//JB_S.; Administrative Office

of the United States Courts, Judicial Business of the United States Courts (), available at

://..//S/JB//JB..

9 W A O U S C

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SeeA O U S C, F C M S, Ex

S (S. ), ://../.x=//S/

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://../JAJ/V.x=//JJ//-

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A O U S C, F C M S (S. ), available

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SeeA O U S C, J E, ://../

JAJ/JV/JE.x ( J 4, 3).

3 T j ,

j j. SeeRussell Wheeler & Sarah Binder,

Brookings Institution, Do Judicial Emergencies Matter? Nomination and Confirmation Delay


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During the 111th Congress 2 (2011), available at ://../~////

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4 SeeA O U S C, supra 4 ( j ).

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Judicial Vacancies - Trial Courts in Trouble