Sens. Hutchison & Cornyn Cosponsor Bill to Create More Judgeships in Texas' Border Districts

Press Release

U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) co-sponsored the bipartisan Emergency Judicial Relief Act of 2011 to provide additional permanent federal judges in Texas districts that border Mexico.

"Several of the most "overburdened' federal judicial districts in our country are located along Texas' southern border. They deal with a high volume of drug and human trafficking cases. We must provide these districts with the necessary resources to protect our rule of law and address the border violence that threatens the freedom and security of Texans who live near the border. This legislation specifically targets districts with the highest caseloads in the country, adding three new judgeships in Texas," said Sen. Hutchison.

"Texas and federal law enforcement that fight drug cartels and human smugglers along our southern border need every resource and tool at their disposal," Sen. Cornyn said. "This bill will help relieve the massive backlog of cases in these districts where judges and prosecutors face a dramatic rise in drug- and smuggling-related cases. This emergency legislation addresses some of the most acute staffing needs in the five busiest federal district benches--including two in Texas."

The bill would create:

2 new judgeships for the Western District of Texas

1 new judgeship for the Southern District of Texas

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