Kings County Times

Congressman David G. Valadao has cast his vote in favor of the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024 (JUDGES Act), which aims to tackle the backlog and understaffing issues faced by courts. This Senate-passed bill, initially introduced by Congressman Darrell Issa and co-sponsored by Valadao, seeks to establish 63 new permanent court judgeships across the nation over the next ten years. The Eastern District Court of California, serving the Central Valley, is set to receive four of these new positions.

Valadao emphasized the critical nature of this legislation for California's Eastern District Court: “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,” he stated. He expressed confidence that adding four judgeships would alleviate pressures on the 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."

The JUDGES Act now awaits President Biden's signature before becoming law. It addresses a pressing need as America's federal district courts currently manage over 724,000 pending cases with an average of 554 weighted filings per judgeship. The last authorization for new district court judgeships was more than twenty years ago despite rising population and case numbers.

In addition to creating permanent positions, the JUDGES Act includes provisions such as adding temporary district court judgeships in Oklahoma and evaluating federal courts' efficiency through GAO assessments. Furthermore, it mandates public release of judicial seat recommendations by the Judicial Conference and authorizes additional federal case locations in Utah, Texas, and California.

The bill aligns with recommendations from the Judicial Conference of the United States led by Chief Justice John Roberts, which suggested creating 66 new district court judgeships.