Patricia Schroeder: “I clearly rise in support of this bill, and I really want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Carlos Moorhead…”

“I clearly rise in support of this bill, and I really want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Carlos Moorhead, from California, who has done such a wonderful job to move this bill in the very short period of time we have left. We worked very hard to take this bill, which came at the request of the judicial conference, to put in it every single thing we could, but we also tried to make sure that we minimized controversy so we could maximize the results and get it done. We full well knew that there was not going to be time to bring controversial things or have long hearings. In the end, I think we have done a very good job of getting as much as we possibly can at this time that will be noncontroversial. I am particularly pleased this bill includes a provision that will produce considerable efficiency gains for the Federal courts by providing for trial before magistrate judges in most petty offense cases, while at the same time we can protect the right to trial before a district judge in all class B misdemeanors.”