U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today called to reform the United States Court of Appeals system for the Ninth Circuit by sponsoring the Judicial Efficiency Improvement Act.
As part of the Ninth Circuit, Montanans and other citizens are unable to have their cases heard in a timely manner, and are therefore being denied equal access to justice,” Daines said. “By splitting the Ninth Circuit, it will help improve America’s judicial system.”
The bill would split the Ninth Circuit and make the headquarters of the new Twelfth Circuit, which would include Montana, in Seattle. In addition the bill would add four new circuit judgeships to the new Ninth Circuit and one to the new Twelfth Circuit and fully implement the recommendations of the 2017 Article III Judicial Conference.
To read the full bill, click HERE.
Background on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:
- At 64.4 million people served, the current Ninth Circuit is the largest circuit by population, as well as the largest land area. It includes 20 percent of the nation’s population and is 85 percent larger than the next largest circuit, which serves just 34.8 million people.
- The Ninth Circuit currently has 11,379 cases pending— nearly three times more than the next closest circuit, the Fifth Circuit, at 4,625 cases pending.
- The Ninth Circuit has averaged the longest median time from appeal to termination over the last five years at 11.2 months. The nationwide median is 8.5 months.
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