Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I rise in support of H.R. 5367, the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Act of 2010. I introduced…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 5367, the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Act of 2010. I introduced this bill on May 24, 2010, and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee ordered the bill reported on September 23. H.R. 5367 expands the administrative authorities of the District of Columbia Court system and increases the efficiency of the system. Mr. Speaker, this bill is at the special request of the Article I Courts of the District of Columbia where changes need the consent of Congress in order to be made. These are small but important changes to the court. It wishes the desire to hold its conferences other than on an annual basis, particularly given the fact that the court has access to Web sites and other ways to communicate to judges. Therefore, this bill simply leaves this matter to the discretion of the judiciary. The bill also has an important section, allowing the court to toll judicial proceedings in the event of an emergency. We know that the District of Columbia is in the cross-hairs of al Qaeda. We also know that we are not immune to natural disasters.”