The Court for the Southern District of California declares a judicial emergency in the District. Due to the heavy criminal felony caseload and lack of new judgeships, the district continues to rank as one of the busiest courts in the nation. According to the Judicial Caseload Profile Report prepared by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the District Court has the highest weighted caseload per judge nationwide. In recognition of the heavy caseload, the Judicial Conference of the United States recommended the addition of eight judgeships -- five permanent and three temporary -- to improve the administration of justice in the district. This was the highest number of new judgeships recommended for any court in the nation. Despite the Judiciary’s recommendation, no new judgeships have been created for our district in pending judgeship legislation. Consequently, the needs of the litigants in our district for new judgeships have not been met. Without new judgeships, the District will operate under judicial emergency procedures as required by the needs of justice.

DATED: October 30, 2000

FILED: October 30, 2000

SUPPORTING CHARTS:
·Criminal cases filed FY '94 - '99
·Weighted cases per judgeship for 12 month period ending December 31, 1998
·Weighted cases per judgeship for 12 month period ending September 30, 2000

RELATED READING:
·Memorandum; U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
·California Lawyer, January 2000; The Busiest Court Around: There's no relief in sight for the besiged Southern District

Search the San Diego Union-Tribune archives for the following:
·Judges Appeal to Congress for Help, They Say Federal Court Here is Overwhelmed; August 8, 2001
·Beyond Petty; November 1, 2000
·S.D., needing 8, gets zero new federal judgeships; October 31, 2000
·Judicial distress: Congress should increase judgeships here; September 28, 2000
·Break the logjam: Need is urgent for more federal judges here; June 22, 2000

Search www.kpbs.org for a transcript of the June 7, 2000 interview, featuring Chief Judge Marilyn L. Huff et al., regarding judicial overload.