Two Idaho senators are pushing to reorganize the country’s current circuit court of appeals structure to alleviate what they view as an overburdened court system.
Idaho Republican Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch recently reintroduced the ‘Judicial Reorganization Act,’ which would split the current Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and create a new 12th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Appellate courts hear appeals from lower district courts located within their circuit.
“The vast majority of court of appeals decisions are final and they are binding on lower courts within the same circuit,” according to the U.S. Government’s courts website.
Currently, Idaho is part of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, along with Washington, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and California.
“The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has long reflected the values of California, which dominates its justices and judicial cases,” said Senator Risch. “The Judicial Reorganization Act would split and modernize the Ninth Circuit, allowing for more manageable caseloads and justice that aligns with the values of Idaho.”
The Bill, if passed, would reorganize the Ninth Circuit to cover only California, Guam and Hawaii, and establish a new circuit with jurisdiction over Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
“The nation’s largest and busiest circuit court of appeals has been overburdened for years–covering more than 11,000 cases annually from nine Western states and two U.S. territories,” Crapo said. “The Ninth Circuit’s significant backlog and inefficiency impedes the administration of justice throughout the region. The time is now to divide the court to reflect the West’s massive population growth and provide greater access to justice for all.”
You can read the full bill HERE.
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