Federal Judiciary

No wish list for the Chief

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

For the first time in his tenure as the head of the national courts, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., on Thursday issued a year-end report with no requests for money or action to aid the judiciary — a bow, he said, to the current economic  plight of the nation and to Congress’ already-full schedule.  The report can be read here.

The Chief Justice said that many of the fedreral courts’ needs “remain to be addressed.”  But, he added, “when the political branches are faced with so many difficult issues, and when so many of our fellow citizens have been touched by hardship, the public might welcome a year-end report limited to what is essential: The courts are operating soundly, and the nation’s dedicated federal judges are conscientiously discharging their duties.”  He added his thanks, and New Year’s best wishes.

Appended to the one-page report was the customary catalog of annual statistics on the workload of the federal judiciary.

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on December 31, 2009 (boomark / email).