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Bulletin of the Federal Courts
VOLT7,NO.1 Pub!i -d te Adminitra- S and the
CHIEF JUSTICE REVIEWS 1974
FEDERAL COURT PROGRESS
The year 1974 saw the contribution of several thoughtful and overdue
proposals for court modernization, but 1974 did not see action on these
and earlier proposals. . . action is essential...
in fiscal 1974, 143,284 cases were filed in Federal district courts, an
increase of 1.6 percent over 1973. Although there has been no increase in
district judgeships since 1970, Federal district judges disposed of 139,159
cases, almost 22,000 more than in 1970 .... I hope the new Congress will
move rapidly on an omnibus judgeship bill.. for 52 new district
judgeships and 13 new circuit judgeships.
[HERE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE'S YEAR-END
STATEMENT; THE FULL TEXT
INFORMATION SERVICE]
Appellate courts have con-
tinued to face an oppressive work-
load. In fiscal 1974, the courts of
appeals experienced a five percent
increase in new cases filed; total
filings reached an all-time high of
16,436 cases. Yet, authorized cir-
cuit judgeships (97) have remained
constant since 1968, resulting in an
80 percent increase in appellate
cases per judgeship.
The inequity of failure to pro-
vide any increase in pay for federal
judges for almost six years is per-
haps felt most extensively in the
district courts, where six judges
have resigned in the last 13 months
to return to private or corporate
practice. That was as many resigna-
tions for such reasons in little more
than one vear as in the previous 34
years.
IS AVAILABLE FROM THE FJC
The Federal Judicial Center, the
respected research, development
and training arm of the federal
courts, is directing an increasing
part of its effort to the problems of
the district courts...
The Center's District Court Sur-
vey promises to provide the first
major exploration of the unresolved
problems of caseload processing in
the district courts. The successful
pilot projects of a computerized
docketing system, developed by the
Center, will be expanded. The Cen-
ter is also proceeding to experiment
with computerized stenographic
transcription of court proceedings.
The Center's study of sentencing
disparities is perhaps the most so-
phisticated exploration of that tre-
mendously important subject to
come from a government or privte
(See REVIEW pg, 4)
, cte JANUARY, 1975
SPEEDY TRIAL ACT PASSED
The Speedy Trial Act of 1974
signed into law by the President
January 3, 1975 will have a major
impact on the operation of the
Federal Judicial System, both in
the coming year and the many
years to follow.
Its primary purpose is to expe-
dite the flow of criminal cases
through the system, from the time
of arrest to the beginning of trial.
As conceived by the Congress, the
program to expedite criminal cases
will begin with a major study and
planning effort on the part of all
elements in the criminal justice
system.
Because of the magnitude of this
task, at the very last moment, the
House added to the bill provisions
that allow until July 1, 1975 to
begin the actual planning process in
the district courts themselves,
which will be performed primarily
through a criminal justice planning
group. (See TRIAL pg. 2)
IN THIS ISSUE:
lal Graduation ............... 3
Travel Bill Reintroduced ..... 4
Evidence Rules Enacted ....... 5
Video Guidelines Published . ,S
Justice Defending Judges ..... 5
A.O. Creates New Divisions ... 6
State-Federal News ........ . 6
Information Act Passed ....... 7
Dial-A-Regulation ............ 7](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/thirdbran7&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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