Judiciary News

Federal probation and pretrial officers from across the country are gathering this week in Atlanta for a national conference on officer wellness, an issue that has gotten increasing attention in recent years, particularly after the protracted coronavirus pandemic raised stress levels for officers in the field.

The conference is being held July 19 to 21 during National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week, which is honored annually during the third calendar week of July to recognize the public service of community corrections professionals.

Several new courthouses coming online as a result of a $948 million investment by Congress in recent years are getting an aesthetic touch thanks to the federal government’s Art in Architecture program.

Federal and state courts reported a combined 6 percent decrease in authorized wiretaps in 2021, compared with 2020, according to the Judiciary’s 2021 Wiretap Report. But arrests and convictions in cases involving electronic surveillance increased.

Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, known by peers for her modesty and work ethic, received the rarest of professional accolades last week, when she became just one of a very few women to have a federal courthouse named in her honor.

A judge’s 19-year effort to secure funding to build a safer and more welcoming space for those resolving disputes in the Western District of Texas came to a satisfying conclusion with a dedication ceremony at the new San Antonio courthouse.

Bankruptcy courts will begin processing an additional $60 per case payment to eligible chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees for applicable cases filed or converted in fiscal year 2021. Applicable cases are chapter 7 cases filed on or after Jan. 12, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2021, or chapter 11, 12, or 13 cases filed on or after Jan. 12, 2021, that are subsequently converted to chapter 7, on or before Sept. 30, 2021.

About five percent of federal supervision cases closed in 2021 resulted in people being sent back to federal prison because of revocations resulting solely from technical violations.

Judge Judith E. Levy considers the Stonewall rebellion in 1969 as the tipping point in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community’s quest for equality and inclusion. In recognition of LGBTQ Pride Month, a new video profile explores Levy’s experience coming out, her pursuit of a career in law, and the social change advocates who inspired her.

Bankruptcy filings continued a steep two-year-long fall that coincided with the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Filings fell 16.5 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2022.

Two federal judges testified that a Judiciary budget of $8.6 billion is needed to keep pace with inflation and to pay for important new investments in courthouse security, IT modernization, and cybersecurity. They also requested staffing to address workload increases caused by issues outside the Judiciary’s control.

The Judiciary’s observance of Law Day this year focuses on four students who brought historic cases to the federal courts that led to desegregation of public schools and shaped students’ First Amendment rights. 

After a two-year hiatus from in-person outreach programs due to COVID-19, bankruptcy judges are returning to classrooms to teach students how to manage personal finances with informed planning and decision-making.  

The federal Judiciary has opened the application period for membership in its public user group that provides advice and feedback on ways to improve electronic public access (EPA) services.

Over the last 100 years, the Judicial Conference of the United States has grappled with many issues: rising court caseloads and limited resources, natural disasters, public-health crises, and the safety of the Judiciary and the public. This year marks the centennial of the national policy-making body, which has helped ensure efficient administration of justice in the courts since 1922.

Testifying to a House subcommittee about workplace conduct, two federal judges said that “the Judiciary’s process for protecting employees is demonstrating its promise and should be given time to build upon the significant strides made to date.”

Judges M. Margaret McKeown and Julie A. Robinson testified before the House Judiciary Committee’s Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet subcommittee. McKeown, of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and Robinson, of the District of Kansas, both are members of the Federal Judiciary Workplace Conduct Working Group.