Political Quotes

“an estimated 200,000 new Floridians every year move into the Sunshine State, making Florida one of the fastest growing States in the Nation. As the population increases, so do the number of people seeking justice from the Federal Courts in our State. Few are more familiar with these demands than the judges and personnel of the United States Courts in Florida's Middle and Southern Districts. The Judicial Conference of the United States has established a benchmark caseload standard of 430 case filings per judgeship. This is a goal that is rarely met in Florida's Middle and Southern Districts. In fact, the number of case filings per judgeship in the Southern District has remained above 500 since 1995; at the end of last year it stood at 609. In the Middle District the courts' weighted caseload with 547 per judgeship at the end of 2001, 27 percent above the Conference standard. In light of this considerable burden on Florida's judges and the outlook for continued growth within the State, the United States Judicial Conference has recommended that Congress add one permanent and one temporary judgeship to the Middle District and one permanent judgeship in the Southern District. It is in accordance with these recommendations that my colleague from Florida and I introduce legislation to establish these needed judgeships. It is my hope that these additional judges will help to alleviate the heavy burden currently placed on Florida's Federal courts.”