It would be nice to have some more federal judges here in Texas.
“Objection Overruled”, by Charles Bragg
Saying that Texas has more vacant federal judgeships than any other state, leaders from state and national liberal advocacy organizations on Monday called on U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to do more to fill the openings.
“The Republican senators go out of their way to prevent certain seats from being filled, hoping that a future Republican president will step in and fill them,” Janet Neuenschwander, coordinator of the National Council of Jewish Women, said Monday at a news conference addressing the vacancies. “You have got a circuit court of appeals heavily weighted in favor of Republicans. I can only assume that the two senators do not want to put any additional judges on that circuit to maintain the substantial advantage that they have on that circuit.”
There are seven Texas federal district court judgeships vacant and two Texas seats on the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Seven of the vacant spots have been declared “judicial emergencies” by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts because of the length of the vacancies.
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In April, Cruz and Cornyn established a Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee to collect nominations for the seats. “It is crucial that we ensure Texans have the best, most qualified judges and prosecutors defending their rights in court,” Cruz said in a news release on the commission.
The panel accepted applications throughout the summer but has yet to make any nominations. Some of the seats have been open for as long as five years.
According to a statement from Progress Texas, the vacant seats can have serious consequences for Texans trying to have their cases heard.
“When there are not enough judges, Texans can’t stand up for their rights in court,” the group’s statement said. “Delays can stretch from months into years. Memories can fade, witnesses can die, a nd families can be bankrupted.”
Lord knows, the slow–rolled by Texas’ Senators on federal appointments since pretty much the beginning. It would be nice if government were allowed to function normally, but that’s not what Cruz and Cornyn were elected to do.
I love Bragg cartoons! When I was a kid, my dad used to have a plethora of them hanging around his office.