News and Announcements

The Judicial Conference of the United States today agreed to implement a number of sweeping cost-containment measures, including a two-year moratorium on 42 federal courthouse construction projects.

Potential funding shortages that could eliminate or severely restrict key federal court operations, and the latest step to increase Internet access to court case files highlighted the agenda of today’s meeting of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

The federal courts’ policy-making body voted today to support repeal of a new law that severely limits the ability of trial judges to depart from Sentencing Guidelines and requires reports to Congress on any federal judge who does so.

The Judicial Conference of the United States today voted to ask Congress to create a total of 57 new federal judgeships—11 for the courts of appeals and 46 for the district courts.

The Judicial Conference of the United States was told by Attorney General John Ashcroft today that the Bush Administration supports creation of new judgeships to help federal courts in dire need of relief.

The Judicial Conference of the United States today approved creation of a pilot program to allow selected courts to provide Internet access to criminal case files.

The Judicial Conference of the United States today concluded business suspended following the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In a mail ballot of its 27 members, the Judicial Conference adopted policies that govern the electronic availability of federal court case file information and the workplace use of the Internet by judges and court employees.

The Judicial Conference of the United States today voted to pursue vigorously a three-part plan for improving the compensation of judges and other high level federal officials.

The Judicial Conference of the United States voted today to oppose legislation that would prohibit federal judges from accepting "anything of value in connection with a seminar" because the legislation is overly broad, would have unintended consequences, and has not been adequately studied.

The Judicial Conference of the United States today voted to "strongly condemn the unilateral efforts of the Office of Management and Budget to impose a courtroom sharing policy on the judicial branch, as an unwarranted and inappropriate intrusion into the constitutionally mandated independence of the Judiciary."