Crapo Highlights Idaho Judicial Emergency

Statement

In a U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Hearing to examine the Judicial Conference's recommendation for more judgeships, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) reiterated the need for a third federal district judgeship in Idaho.

"Idaho is one of only three states that only has two authorized judgeships," said Senator Crapo. "Idaho was given its two federal judge positions when the state had a population of 600,000 people. Today, the population of the state is nearly 1.7 million people--nearly three times higher. Yet, we still only have two judges. We have been recommending a new judgeship for years. The criminal caseload, according to the Clerk of Courts for the District of Idaho, has increased by 58 percent in the last few years. We are simply seeing justice unserved. This is a crisis in this country that must be addressed. We have to put aside our partisan differences, and create these new judgeships consistent with our Constitution."

Senator Crapo and fellow Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced legislation earlier this Congress, S. 103, to establish an additional federal district judgeship in Idaho for the first time in more than sixty years. Since 2003, the Judicial Conference of the U.S. has consistently found Idaho to be facing a judicial emergency based on weighted caseload numbers per active judge. Idaho is in a precarious position with only two authorized federal judges, and faces further difficulties and shortages with current judges reaching retirement eligibility. Idaho's two congressional representatives, Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, have introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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