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California District Courts in 'Emergency' Await Biden Nominees
California District Courts in ‘Emergency’ Await Biden Nominees
July 28, 2021, 4:46 AM
• Vacancies cause delays in some courts, pressure on judges
• California senators forwarded recommendations to Biden
President Joe Biden has yet to put forward nominees for district courts in California, a state where all four federal trial courts say they’re hamstrung by a growing list of vacancies considered “emergencies.”
The four district court chief judges told Bloomberg Law they’re anxious to get more hands on deck. All 17 of the existing vacancies in California districts are considered “judicial emergencies,” or vacancies that increase the work for the remaining judges. Those vacancies alone account for 46% of the judicial emergencies in the country. Three other district judges are expected to retire soon.
“This crisis of vacancies is more significant to the administration of justice than the pandemic was,” Central District of California Chief Judge Philip Gutierrez said.
California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla have forwarded names to the White House, aides to both said without disclosing when or how many names were submitted.
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on the status of California nominees.
The lack of any California nominees six months after Biden took office contrasts with how rapidly his administration has approached judicial nominations overall. Biden has nominated 30 people to lifetime judicial appointments with eight confirmed so far.
{snip}
July 28, 2021, 4:46 AM
• Vacancies cause delays in some courts, pressure on judges
• California senators forwarded recommendations to Biden
President Joe Biden has yet to put forward nominees for district courts in California, a state where all four federal trial courts say they’re hamstrung by a growing list of vacancies considered “emergencies.”
The four district court chief judges told Bloomberg Law they’re anxious to get more hands on deck. All 17 of the existing vacancies in California districts are considered “judicial emergencies,” or vacancies that increase the work for the remaining judges. Those vacancies alone account for 46% of the judicial emergencies in the country. Three other district judges are expected to retire soon.
“This crisis of vacancies is more significant to the administration of justice than the pandemic was,” Central District of California Chief Judge Philip Gutierrez said.
California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla have forwarded names to the White House, aides to both said without disclosing when or how many names were submitted.
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on the status of California nominees.
The lack of any California nominees six months after Biden took office contrasts with how rapidly his administration has approached judicial nominations overall. Biden has nominated 30 people to lifetime judicial appointments with eight confirmed so far.
{snip}