Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals boundaries
Image: uscourts.gov
What’s New:
I recently helped introduce the Judicial Efficiency Improvement Act, which would split the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and add a new Twelfth Circuit, which would include Montana.
The Ninth Circuit currently suffers from a massive backlog of cases that’s considerably larger than the national average. It covers 20% of the total US population and has more than 11,000 pending cases. The outsized caseload in the Ninth Circuit frequently delays justice for Montanans.
Why it Matters:
My bill would help ensure that Montanans receive their day in court more quickly. It will also remove Montana from a circuit court that time and again has been outside of the mainstream. The Ninth Circuit has repeatedly delayed Montana forest management and infrastructure projects, and impeded the ability of Montana commodities to get to market. It also has one of the highest rates of being overturned or reversed by the Supreme Court.
What’s Next:
My Ninth Circuit reform legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for consideration. I will continue pushing for this common sense action which will give Montanans fair access to the court system and allow our state to flourish. When our courts are overburdened and overworked, Montanans are left underserved and waiting too long for justice.
