Simpson's Ninth Circuit Split Moves Forward as Part of Deficit Redution

Simpson's Ninth Circuit Split Moves Forward as Part of Deficit Redution

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Mike Simpson's legislation to split the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals won passage in the House Budget Committee today as part of the Deficit Reduction Act - legislation aimed at reducing the federal budget deficit and funding cleanup of areas devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The provision also includes 12 new circuit judgeships and 56 new district judgeships, including one in Idaho.

Simpson has been working closely with Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Idaho Rep. C. L. "Butch" Otter to split the Ninth Circuit into two or three smaller circuits with less geographic size and population. Simpson's provision would split the Ninth Circuit in two - a reconfigured Ninth Circuit comprised of Hawaii, California, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam; and a new Twelfth Circuit comprised of Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Passage of the provision through both Houses of Congress would create the first new Circuit Court since 1980.

"This is a significant step forward for those of us who strongly believe the Ninth Circuit is too large and overburdened to effectively serve the 56 million people now under its jurisdiction," said Simpson. "I've been working for years to win House support for a Ninth Circuit split and bring some long-needed structural reforms to the court. I have long believed the people of Idaho and other Western states would be best served by breaking up the Ninth Circuit into two or three smaller, more efficient courts better designed to consistently and predictably serve our region. With the inclusion of this provision in the Deficit Reduction Act, I believe it's possible to obtain both a new judge and a new Circuit Court for the people of our state."

"I appreciate Mike's leadership on this issue. We share a concern about the terrible backlog of appeals that have built up in the Ninth Circuit, and the impact that the resulting delays are having on case law and the lives of real people," Otter said. "Justice delayed truly is justice denied. This provision sets us on a course toward an appeals court system that has the resources and regional understanding needed to do right by the people of Idaho."

As it currently stands, the Ninth Circuit is responsible for protecting the constitutional and federally protected rights of more than 50 million people. The Ninth Circuit serves 15 million more people than the next largest circuit and about 20 million more than the average jurisdiction of the other courts of appeal.

Based on U.S. Census projections, over the next 25 years the Ninth Circuit's jurisdiction will grow by 50 percent to encompass a population of over 75 million people. The projected growth rates over the same period for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits demonstrate those circuits will serve a population of only 20 million people.

The Deficit Reduction Act is expected to be considered by the full House of Representatives next week.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/id02_simpson/ninthcircuit_budgetrecon.html