Judiciary News

Bankruptcy filings fell 2.6 percent for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2018, compared with the year ending June 30, 2017, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

While overall civil rights cases have declined, cases brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) have increased three-fold in recent years. Filings in three states – California, Florida, and New York – account for a significant number of the civil rights cases filed under the ADA. You can find out more in this new installment of Just the Facts.

Federal courts reported a 30 percent increase in authorized wiretaps in 2017, compared to 2016, and state courts reported an 11 percent rise, according to a newly released Judiciary report. 

A robotic arm gestures across a tablet screen, using sophisticated software to try to crack a geometric passcode. Drones and flash drives lie dissected on a workbench, while a state-of-the-art computer scans a hard drive. This isn’t the CSI Crime Lab, it’s the Eastern District of Missouri’s National Forensic Laboratory.

“The lack of additional judgeships, combined with the growth in caseload, has created difficulties for many courts across the nation,” Chief Judge Lawrence Stengel told a House subcommittee today. “It has reached urgent levels in five districts that are struggling with extraordinarily high and sustained workload,” he said in prepared testimony. The courts are the: Eastern District of California, District of Delaware, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Indiana, and Western District of Texas.

The Federal Judiciary Workplace Conduct Working Group, a group of federal judges and senior Judiciary officials formed at the request of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., issued a report recommending measures to improve workplace conduct policies and procedures in the federal Judiciary.

Magistrate judges play an important role in the judicial process, helping district judges in criminal and civil matters by handling complaints, issuing search warrants, holding preliminary hearings, and much more.

Federal courts around the country sponsored a variety of events to commemorate Law Day during the month of May, a tradition celebrating the rule of law in the United States that dates to the Eisenhower administration.  

An effort to spruce up a courthouse display case with photos from a naturalization ceremony quickly became something more--an opportunity for the District of Maine to share the joy of 39 new citizens with their friends and families around the globe. 

This week is Juror Appreciation Week, and federal courts across the country are honoring citizens for their participation and raising awareness about the importance of jury service.

Bankruptcy filings fell by 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2018, compared with the year ending March 31, 2017. 

In an effort to bolster civil discourse and good decision-making in the next generation of jurors and engaged citizens, federal judges are hosting high school and college students in their courtrooms to observe, learn, and practice critical life skills.

Representatives of the federal Judiciary today asked Congress to provide $7.22 billion in fiscal year 2019 to fund continuing operations of the judicial branch. The request includes funding to sustain cybersecurity initiatives and ensure sufficient security at federal courthouses.

April is Financial Literacy Month, and bankruptcy courts across the country are doing what they can to foster greater awareness of the benefits of informed personal-finance planning and decision-making.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee revisits Martin Luther King, Jr.,'s last legal battle.