The Senate has pushed through President Trump’s judicial selections at a rapid pace, but no nominees have been put forward for vacancies in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. Lengthy refill times and soaring caseloads per judge has caused a judicial emergency, and district courts with a large volume of litigation, like New Jersey, are feeling the pinch.
Judge Jose Linares, McCarter partner and former chief judge of the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, said his former court handles a large number of complex matters. The court has 11 active judges out of a possible 17, and all six vacancies are classified as emergencies.
Judge Linares said, “When dockets get overwhelmed by [judge] shortages, there’s going to be that delay in the handling of the cases, which creates pressure within the court because the judges want to do the right thing and dispense justice in a timely fashion.”