Justice Roberts renews call for court funding

[Tx4obama]

Roberts renews call for court funding

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress and the White House need to restore funding to the nation's federal courts to keep from undermining "the public's confidence in all three branches of government," Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday in his year-end report.

Roberts has made similar calls for more money in the past. "I would like to choose a fresher topic, but duty calls. The budget remains the single most important issue facing the courts," he said.

The courts have been severely impacted by government cost-cutting, Roberts said.

"The combined effects since July 2011 of flat budgets followed by sequestration reduced on-board court staffing levels by 3,100 (14 percent) to about 19,000 employees - the lowest staffing level since 1997, despite significant workload increases over that same period - and reduced federal defender offices staffing by 11 percent in fiscal year 2013 alone," he said.

-snip-

Full article here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_ANNUAL_REPORT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-31-18-01-08

[TeamPooka]

1. Nothing like having a conservative calling for more governmentment workers.

Have they scheduled his excommunication from the GOP yet?

[Igel]

5. That's part of the job.

He's Chief Justice. Not just of the SCOTUS, but of the entire federal judiciary.

If somebody is to advocate for higher salaries or better working conditions for his employees, it's him. If somebody is to advocate for greater staffing levels or an expansion, that's his job before it's anybody else's.

(Not that they're "his employees" in the sense that he can hire and fire them. But the federal judiciary is his responsibility, not just his own case load. Unlike other federal judges.)

[santamargarita]

2. It would do the country more good if we used that

money to impeach that bastard!

[Ranchemp.]

4. Impeach him for what?

What impeachable offense has he committed?
Scalia, Thomas? Yes, but what has Roberts done?

[lastlib]

6. The high crimes of stupidity, ass-hattery, ignorance and arrogance......

...works for me...........................

[Ranchemp.]

9. He's all that, but guess what?

Those aren't impeachable offenses.

[lastlib]

11. I know...more's the pity................

. . . .

[Ranchemp.]

13. LOL.

I know, I know. If those were crimes, 1/2 of the American population would be in prison.

[William769]

3. Hey shit head "the single most important issue facing the courts"

is no judges! You should have told your cronies that in the Senate. Why fund something that is only somewhat working?

[Tx4obama]

8. Roberts has been hollering about the Senate and judicial nominations for a few years

01/03/2011
Chief Justice Roberts Urges Senate to Confirm Judicial Nominees
http://blog.pfaw.org/content/chief-justice-roberts-urges-senate-confirm-judicial-nominees

Jan. 1, 2011
Chief Justice Decries Brawling Over Judicial Nominees
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703859204576054333011800442

December 31, 2012
Roberts urges Obama, Congress to fill federal courts
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/12/31/supreme-court-roberts-annual-report-federal-judiciary-budget-vacancies/1801375/

And in 2012 Senator Leahy thanked Roberts

Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Chief Justice Roberts’ Year-End Report On The Federal Judiciary
http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comment-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-chief-justice-roberts-2013-report-on-the-federal-judiciary

[Chan790]

10. I have a hard time disliking him as much as Scalia, Alito, Thomas and Kennedy.

Really, Kennedy doesn't really belong with the first three either. Roberts and Kennedy approach the law conservatively but within their own clear and well-defined legal precepts. They're always going to take a restrained conservative tack...but when the law is clearly not in the favor of their conservative ideals, the law prevails.

Alito, Scalia and Thomas are the opposite. The law is whatever their conservatism tells them it should be. Given a choice between defending the Constitution and defending their ideology, they're going ideology.

Further, I get the impression Roberts cares more about being a good Justice and a good administrator of the court than being a conservative paragon. Scalia only cares about being the conservative paragon...if they had only enough space on his tombstone to fit one, he'd opt for conservative over Justice or one of those familial epithets. (Father, Husband, etc.)

[Hippo_Tron]

14. Roberts also has responsibilites that Scalia, Thomas, and Alito don't

On the one hand I'll give Bush credit for not elevating Scalia (or Thomas) to the Chief Justice role because they would've been piss poor Chief Justices. On the other hand, Roberts' steady approach is likely doing more to further the conservative agenda than having an ideologue like Scalia running the show. Roberts gets the Kennedy and/or the liberals to side with him probably a lot more often than Scalia would've been able to in compromise decisions that lay the foundation for bigger changes.

I think if Roberts wasn't running the court, he'd be just as ridiculously conservative as the others. But unlike the others, he has the restraint to tone it down as Chief Justice. He's done a remarkable job running the court. Unfortunately, the fact that he's done such a remarkable job isn't a good thing for us.

[Thinkingabout]

7. What is with all the hate on DU? There are responsibilities in the different branches, this is how

Our government works. Someone starts a discussion and then the ugly cones out, this is what RW do. Democrats are better than being ugly. I have read lots of ugly on Libertians sites. We are better than ugly.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. Justice Roberts is horrible

why should anyone listen to him?

[JNelson6563]

15. Ok, and so now what?

His fellow Republicans will do what, exactly, to help? Probably the same thing they've done with every similar plea in the past; nothing.

I wonder what he thinks of his party after trying to work with them and getting nowhere.

Julie