[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FEDERAL JUDGESHIP ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 5, 1999

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Southern 
California Federal Judgeship Act of 1999. I am proud to be joined in 
this effort by my colleagues from San Diego, Rep Ron Packard, Rep. 
Duncan Hunter, and Rep. Brian Bilbray. This important legislation will 
authorize four additional Federal district court judges, three 
permanent and one temporary, to the Southern District of California.
  A recent judicial survey ranks the Southern District of California as 
the busiest court in the nation by Number of criminal felony cases 
filed and total number of weighted cases per judge. In 1998, the 
Southern District had a weighted caseload of 1,006 cases per judge. By 
comparison, the Central District of California had a weighted filing of 
424 cases per judge; the Eastern District of California had a weighted 
filing of 601 cases per judge; and the Northern District of California 
had a weighted filing of 464 cases per judge.
  The Southern District consists of the San Diego and Imperial Counties 
of California, and shares a 200-mile border with Mexico. According to 
the U.S. Customs Service, as much as 33 percent of the illegal drugs 
and 50 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States from 
Mexico enters through this court district. Additionally, the court 
faces a substantial number of our Nation's immigration cases. Further 
multiplying the district's caseload is an agreement between the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service and the State of California that 
calls for criminal aliens to be transferred to prison facilities in 
this district upon nearing the end of their State sentences. All these 
factors combine to create a tremendous need for additional district 
court judges.
  I hope that all my colleagues will join those of us from San Diego 
and help the people of Southern California by authorizing additional 
district court judges for the Southern District of California.

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