Dianne Feinstein: “If I may finish my thought, the point has been made-- and the distinguished Senator from Alaska made this point very…”

“If I may finish my thought, the point has been made-- and the distinguished Senator from Alaska made this point very well-- that 28 out of 29 cases of this session were reversed by the United States Supreme Court. Bingo, it is a terrible circuit. Well, let me say that that is only 28 cases out of over 4,480 cases. It is the largest circuit. That is a very small percentage of the cases it successfully adjudicated. Let me just go back to Judge Hug's letter because I believe there is something important here. The caseload per judge in the ninth circuit would be 124 cases per judge higher than the twelfth circuit, or 52 percent greater, as I have said, than the twelfth. Then he raises this: The provision in the bill for coequal clerks in the twelfth Circuit is completely unworkable. How can it be efficiently administered in this way? Is the administration of the circuit to be done in two separate, coequal headquarters? Where would the circuit executive be located? These are all questions that need to be answered. This thing would go into effect on October 1. No question is answered. Then Judge Hug says in his letter: Consider the travel time and expense of the judges. Presumably, the judges from Alaska and Montana will need to travel half of the time to Phoenix, and the Arizona judges will need to travel half the time to Seattle. Presently, the circuit headquarters in San Francisco is equal distance, and the air routes convenient.…”