News and Announcements

Bankruptcy filings fell 0.3 percent for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2019, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. 

Federal probation offices around the country are reaching into local schools, sometimes helped by furry drug-sniffing dogs. Their goal? Raising awareness about the work of pretrial and probation officers and encouraging a diverse group of future officers.

Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is the recipient of the 2019 Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Stewart will formally receive the award on Oct. 17 in a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Magistrate judges play a critical role in the federal Judiciary, fulfilling a broad range of responsibilities and easing heavy caseloads in district courts. A new video by the U.S courts. explains the merit selection process for these judges.

Federal and state courts reported a combined 23 percent decrease in authorized wiretaps in 2018, compared with 2017, according to the Judiciary’s 2018 Wiretap report. Convictions in cases involving electronic surveillance also fell sharply.

The federal Judiciary has created and is seeking members for a public user group to provide advice and feedback on ways to improve its electronic public access services. 

What happens when school officials search a backpack and find an underage student’s e-cigarettes? An innovative courtroom program helps students understand how search and seizure laws affect them.

A heightened awareness of the importance of diverse juries has prompted some federal courts to evaluate their selection processes to ensure that the age, race, and socio-economic status of juror pools reflect the courts’ communities.

Growing up in a small town in Minnesota, Donovan Frank overcame the modest expectations of his high school teacher to attend college and then law school. He later also overcame alcoholism, a condition that nearly destroyed his marriage, on his way to becoming a state judge and then a federal judge in the District of Minnesota for two decades.

Bankruptcy filings fell by 0.9 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2019, compared with the year ending March 31, 2018.