South OC Times

Washington – On Friday, March 8, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, introduced “The Federal Judgeship Act of 2024” to provide necessary relief to the overburdened judicial system. Issa’s bill, H.R. 7597, co-led by Ranking Member Hank Johnson (GA-04) adopts recommendations made by the Judicial Conference, the administrative body of the U.S. federal court system. The bill creates new federal district court judgeships, converts temporary judgeships into permanent judgeships, extends two temporary judgeships for five years, and adds two circuit court judgeships to alleviate overcrowded dockets and streamline vital court proceedings.

“Lack of federal district court judges and inflated caseloads have created a dense backlog in our nation’s judicial system. As a result, cases are being delayed – with justice right along with it,” said Rep. Issa. “This bill is a good-faith effort, giving no partisan advantage, to address the needs of and provide a sustainable future for our federal judicial system. My thanks to Ranking Member Johnson as we work toward a more effective and efficient judiciary.”

“Our federal courts, including in Georgia, are understaffed and overwhelmed,” said Ranking Member Johnson. “It's causing massive backlogs and delays. This crisis is one that we can solve now – to have a functioning legal system, we must have an adequate number of judgeships. By adding federal judges through the Federal Judgeship Act of 2024, we hope to ensure Americans get their day in court and their matters adjudicated. Justice delayed is justice denied. I’m pleased to be working with Chairman Issa to solve this pressing problem.”

Congress last increased the number of federal district court judgeships over 20 years ago – the longest gap since the original establishment of federal district courts in 1789. As of March 31, 2023, there were 702,433 pending cases in federal district courts across the country, averaging 803 filings per judgeship. These cases include civil rights claims, criminal prosecutions, environmental and consumer protection litigation, discrimination claims, challenges to government power, and holding corporations accountable for misconduct.