Help might be on the way for California’s Eastern District Court, but only if President Joe Biden allows it.
Congress passed the JUDGES Act of 2024 on Thursday, which would add judges across the nation, including in the Eastern District Court of California, to ease a burdened judiciary.
The big picture: The JUDGES Act would add four judgeships to the Eastern District Court, which encompasses all of the Central Valley, much of the Sierra Nevada mountains and much of Northern California.
- The bill would create 63 new permanent judgeships throughout the country over the next 10 years.
- It would also add three temporary district court judgeships in Oklahoma.
- Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) co-sponsored a version of the bill earlier this year. The Senate version of the bill passed the Senate earlier this week and the House on Thursday.
What we’re watching: Biden threatened to veto the bill earlier this week because the House did not take action on it before the November election.
- Congress could override a potential veto with two-thirds of support in both chambers.
Why it matters: Congress has not increased the number of judgeships across the nation in over 20 years even though the population has grown.
- There were nearly 725,000 pending cases at federal district courts at the end of June. There were also 554 weighted filings per judgeship.
- Last year the Judicial Conference of the United States recommended that Congress should create 66 new district court judgeships.
What they’re saying: “For years I’ve seen the significant strain and burden put on our legal system due to the longstanding shortage of judges in California’s Eastern District Court,” Valadao said. “The JUDGES Act would add four judgeships to the Central Valley region, helping to ease the unsustainable workload currently overwhelming our justice system. I have no doubt this bill will bring much-needed relief to countless residents in our community who have been trapped in the legal system for far too long due to delays. I’m proud that my colleagues in the House of Representatives and Senate came together to pass this crucial, bipartisan effort.”
