Judiciary News

A newly published Federal Court Interpreter Orientation Manual and Glossary (pdf) provides an overview of the federal court interpreting program. The manual provides an introduction to the federal court system, interpreting best practices, and reference materials.

As a child, Julie A. Robinson was inspired by a story told by her grandmother, of how Civil Rights pioneer Mary McLeod Bethune was invited to the White House to meet with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Years later, Robinson followed Bethune’s footsteps into the White House, to be interviewed for a federal judgeship.

Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the U.S. Sentencing Commission on March 13, 2014, to endorse a proposed change to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that would reserve the harshest penalties for the most serious drug offenders. The Judicial Conference Criminal Law Committee supports this change.

An in-depth look at the 2013 caseload of the federal courts and activities of the Administrative Office can be found in the 2013 Judicial Business of the U.S. Courts, and Annual Report of the Director, released today by the Administrative Office.

Federal Judiciary leaders today received a report on the impact of reduced funding due to sequestration – which cut court staff and delayed cases – and a separate report on an aggressive multi-faceted strategy to reduce the costs of court space.

The Administrative Office has received approval from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of a revised records disposition schedule for non-electronic criminal case files.

In a federal courtroom, a witness, who only speaks Foochow, provides testimony in a case where no one in the room speaks that language. In a preliminary hearing, a Spanish-speaking defendant responds to questions from the judge. In both instances, an interpreter bridging the language gap for the participants is miles away at the other end of a telephone.

African American History Month, celebrated every February, this year occurs during the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and of Freedom Summer, two landmark events that helped end legal segregation in America.

The hourly pay rates for lawyers who represent indigent defendants in federal criminal cases, which were temporarily reduced last year, have been restored, effective March 1, 2014.

Nearly 158,000 offenders and defendants are under supervision in the federal probation and pretrial system. For officers, maintaining contact with each client is essential. Three districts currently are piloting a web-based Client Electronic Notification System (CENS) that will help officers maintain that contact and safeguard the community.

In a highly unusual confirmation hearing, six nominees from one federal court district—Arizona—prepare to testify, during a recent session of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A federal judge from the Northern District of Ohio held a recent naturalization ceremony at a Cleveland history museum, and in the process created a memorable event for two groups.

When a state courthouse in Lexington, Ky., was shut down by a recent plumbing incident, a neighboring federal courthouse offered assistance in an unusual way.

In calendar year 2013, there was a 12 percent drop in cases filed in federal bankruptcy courts.

The different ways federal district courts provide settlement assistance to parties is the focus of a new study by the Federal Judicial Center (FJC). Eight district courts are participating in the study to be completed by late 2014.