McSally sponsors bipartisan bill to bolster number of federal court judges in Arizona

U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at reducing the case backlog in Arizona federal courts.

“Arizona’s expanding population means it is overdue for more new federal judgeships than nearly anywhere in the country,” the senator said on Monday. “I am committed to fighting for a strong judiciary in Arizona so that our judges have the tools they need to deliver timely justice.”

Sen. McSally on Feb. 13 sponsored the District of Arizona Judgeship Authorization Act of 2020, S. 3321, with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), which would authorize four additional judgeships and convert a temporary judgeship into a permanent position for the district of Arizona, according to the text of the bill.

“Although Arizonans should be proud of the growing number of Americans who choose to call our state home, our federal judges are burdened with heavy caseloads that hinder their ability to effectively do their jobs,” said Sen. McSally. “Our bipartisan bill would address this problem by bringing the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona up to full strength, which would aid in statewide efforts to address crime and illegal immigration.”

The Judicial Conference of the United States, which is the national policy-making body for the federal courts, defines any vacancy where weighted filings are in excess of 600 per judgeship as a “judicial emergency,” according to Sen. McSally’s office, which noted that the district of Arizona currently has 800 weighted filings per judgeship.

“Making Arizona’s federal judgeship a permanent position increases access to judicial services for all Arizonans,” added Sen. Sinema.

The legislation has been referred to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.