Political Quotes

“I rise today with Senator Evan Bayh to introduce the Southern District of Indiana Temporary Judgeship Act. This legislation will help remedy the strain experienced by the Federal Court for the Southern District of Indiana from its extremely heavy caseload. The Southern District's caseload far exceeds the national average and is more than any other district court in the 7th Circuit. Indeed, the most recent report of the Judicial Business of the United States Courts indicates that the Southern District had 599 filings per judge, compared to a national average of 474. Over the last 10 years, the area of Indiana comprising the Southern District has seen explosive population growth, the designation of the penitentiary at Terre Haute, IN, as the place of confinement for those sentenced to death under federal law, and a large increase in the amount of multi-district litigation. Yet, despite these changes, Indiana has not had a new judgeship added since 1990. I am pleased, therefore, to join with Senator Bayh to help ensure that the delivery of justice is unimpeded. There is wide agreement about the need for this additional judgeship, and the Judicial Conference of the United States has called upon Congress since 1996 to add a temporary judge to the Southern District. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”