Grassley to Hold Third Hearing on Judicial Resources


Number of Judgeships, Use of Resources to be Discussed


Scott Stanzel

202/224-6197


Continuing his effort to examine the allocation of resources and streamline operations to save taxpayer dollars in the federal judiciary, Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday will hold a hearing to consider the number of judgeships needed for the 5th and 11th Circuits.

This is the third such hearing that Grassley will conduct as Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. As part of his review he conducted a first-ever survey of Article III judges in early 1996. The Grassley survey asked for direct input from judges on a number of issues related to their work, including the number of judges per circuit.

Grassley conducted his first hearing regarding the number of judgeships for the District of Columbia Circuit in October 1995. Using the response from the survey as a basis for a formal review of other circuits by the Subcommittee, Grassley held a hearing in February of this year to review the 4th Circuit. Monday's review of the 5th and 11th Circuits is a continuation of this series.

"Under the Constitution, Congress has the duty to see that tax dollars are spent wisely and make sure the courts are able to do their jobs as efficiently as possible. I am committed to conducting a thorough and appropriate examination of our federal court system," said Grassley. "Every branch of government must be part of our comprehensive effort to balance the federal budget."

The witness list for the Monday, June 9, hearing which begins at 2:00 p.m., in SD-226 follows.

  • The Honorable Joseph Hatchett, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Tallahassee, Florida
  • The Honorable Gerald Tjoflat, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Jacksonville, Florida
  • The Honorable Edith Jones, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Houston, Texas
  • The Honorable Patrick Higginbotham, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Dallas, Texas
  • Mr. W. Frank Newton, Dean and Professor of Law, Texas Tech School of Law; Lubbock, TX