Rep. Nehls urges passage of JUDGES Act to tackle court backlog

Congressman Troy E. Nehls has authored an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, focusing on the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024. This legislation aims to address the backlog in federal courts by increasing the number of judgeships.

In his piece, Nehls highlights the severe delays faced by federal district courts due to overwhelming caseloads and backlogs, which he argues impede Americans' constitutional right to a speedy trial. He notes that despite significant population growth from 2000 to 2020, Congress has not authorized new district court judgeships since 2002.

Nehls emphasizes that as of June 30, 2024, there are over 724,000 pending cases in U.S. courts. In Texas alone, the Southern District faces a backlog of nearly 15,000 cases with civil suits taking an average of 7.6 months for resolution and criminal cases averaging 5.1 months from indictment to resolution.

The Judicial Conference recommended adding 66 new district court judgeships in March 2023 to manage this increased workload. The JUDGES Act aligns with these recommendations and proposes creating permanent and temporary judgeships while expanding case locations in several states.

The bipartisan act was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on August 1 but still requires approval from the House of Representatives. Nehls calls for his colleagues' support, particularly those on the House Judiciary Committee, urging them to pass this critical legislation.

“Federal district courts across the country are currently plagued by overwhelming caseloads and multiyear backlogs,” Nehls wrote. He emphasized that “it is incumbent upon Congress to rectify” this situation to ensure timely justice for all Americans.

Nehls also mentioned that “every American should be afforded the administration of justice in a reasonable timeframe.” He reiterated his commitment to seeing the JUDGES Act through multiple phases from 2025 through 2035 without giving any party an appointment advantage.

“I encourage all of my colleagues...to support this legislation," Nehls stated emphatically, underscoring its importance for maintaining efficiency within federal district courts nationwide.