Thomas Mott Osborne: “While this conference report authorizes appropriations for the Justice Department, it also establishes federal…”

“While this conference report authorizes appropriations for the Justice Department, it also establishes federal judgeships. Despite the efforts of Chairman Sensenbrenner, this legislation fails to make permanent Nebraska's temporary judgeship, which is set to expire November 20, 2003. Caseloads for U.S. district judges in Nebraska have climbed steadily largely because of an increasing number of criminal cases, particularly those related to drug trafficking. In fact, criminal cases have more than doubled since 1995. Like many other states in the Midwest, Nebraska has been plagued in recent years by an influx of methamphetamine (meth), and criminal cases involving meth represent 66 percent of Nebraska's drug docket, compared to the national average of 14.5 percent. The influx of meth in Nebraska will continue to cause the criminal caseload to increase. In the last year alone, the number of meth defendants increased by 88 percent. Interstate 80, which runs the length of the state of Nebraska, is one of the primary transit routes used for drug trafficking across the central United States.”