Critics Say Judicial Vacancies Hurt System
From the Chicago Sun-Times
Things became so bad recently that Connecticut's top federal trial judge felt compelled to send an SOS.
Chief U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson of the District of Connecticut asked colleagues from other states to lend a hand with civil cases when a shortage of judges threatened the ability of his court to deliver justice.
The situation is not as dire in the Northern District of Illinois.
But Chief U.S. District Judge James F. Holderman said four vacancies on the Chicago-based federal trial bench forced the judges currently serving on the court to take on more work.
"Each of the judges has to carry that much more of the full caseload that we have," Holderman said.
One of the court's 22 authorized judgeships opened up when Wayne R. Andersen retired from the bench, another when William J. Hibbler died and two more when Joan B. Gottschall and Joan H. Lefkow took senior status.
In May, President Barack Obama nominated attorney Thomas M. Durkin of Mayer, Brown LLP to succeed Andersen. But the full U.S. Senate has not yet voted on Durkin's nomination.
And Holderman said it was unlikely anyone would be tapped soon to fill the remaining openings despite the efforts of U.S. Sens. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., and Mark Steven Kirk, R-Ill., to select nominees.
"I know the senators are working diligently to review candidates, but I don't expect any nominations until after the first of the year," he said.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Sun-Times
Things became so bad recently that Connecticut's top federal trial judge felt compelled to send an SOS.
Chief U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson of the District of Connecticut asked colleagues from other states to lend a hand with civil cases when a shortage of judges threatened the ability of his court to deliver justice.
The situation is not as dire in the Northern District of Illinois.
But Chief U.S. District Judge James F. Holderman said four vacancies on the Chicago-based federal trial bench forced the judges currently serving on the court to take on more work.
"Each of the judges has to carry that much more of the full caseload that we have," Holderman said.
One of the court's 22 authorized judgeships opened up when Wayne R. Andersen retired from the bench, another when William J. Hibbler died and two more when Joan B. Gottschall and Joan H. Lefkow took senior status.
In May, President Barack Obama nominated attorney Thomas M. Durkin of Mayer, Brown LLP to succeed Andersen. But the full U.S. Senate has not yet voted on Durkin's nomination.
And Holderman said it was unlikely anyone would be tapped soon to fill the remaining openings despite the efforts of U.S. Sens. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., and Mark Steven Kirk, R-Ill., to select nominees.
"I know the senators are working diligently to review candidates, but I don't expect any nominations until after the first of the year," he said.
Read more in our daily News Update...