Judiciary News

The federal Judiciary uses a wide array of initiatives—including advanced technology, cost reduction and aggressive auditing—to deliver justice efficiently, while enhancing   public access to and knowledge of the courts, according to testimony delivered July 6 to a House Judiciary subcommittee.

The number of federal and state wiretaps terminated in 2015 increased nearly 17 percent over 2014, according to an annual report submitted to Congress by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

June is LGBT Pride Month, which commemorates the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and the civil rights gains the community has made since 1969, the year that the Stonewall riots in New York City proved to be a tipping point for the LGBT movement in the United States.

Four retired magistrate judges, who collectively served the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut more than 100 years, were celebrated in a ceremony unveiling their portraits. 

A special committee conducting a comprehensive review of the nation’s federal system of indigent defense has wrapped up a series of seven hearings around the country. The sessions featured more than 100 hours of public testimony from federal defenders, panel attorneys, judges, prosecutors, advocacy groups and academics.

Students across the country participated in federal Judiciary celebrations of Law Day, engaging  in courtroom simulations that focused on the 50th anniversary of Miranda v. Arizona, texting while driving and the forced internment of Americans during wartime. 

The role of federal Courts of Appeals in protecting the rights of Americans in criminal and civil cases is the focus of a U.S. Courts educational video featuring two appellate judges, and court staff.

May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, and video profiles of three U.S. judges, two of whom are naturalized American citizens, show how their diverse experiences prepared them for careers on the federal bench. 

Law Day 2016 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the landmark Miranda v. Arizona decision, focusing on its critical importance to the rights of individuals in custody, and how the ruling is applied to juveniles. 

Bankruptcy filings fell 8.5 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2016, compared with the year ending March 31, 2015, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

An innovative Chicago probation office, described as a federal Judiciary “flagship” in efficient, economical space design, is the subject of a newly released U.S. Courts video.

Detailed plans for building eight new federal court facilities have been sent to Congress, spelling out how an unprecedented $947.8 million appropriation included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 will be used to replace buildings that are obsolete, lack adequate security and in many cases are too small to handle current caseloads.

A 2014 change in federal drug sentencing guidelines has led to an unprecedented number of inmates receiving shortened prison terms, according to data from a new U.S. Sentencing Commission study.

A new judicial learning center and museum located in Oklahoma City is teaching schoolchildren and the general public about federal courts and the rule of law.

A new U.S. Sentencing Commission study of sentence reductions for cooperating offenders reveals substantial differences in two ways offenders receive credit for their assistance.