[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 145 (Tuesday, November 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10836-S10837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE MORE BANKRUPTCY JUDGES FOR MARYLAND

  Mr. SARBANES. Madam President, I rise today in strong support of 
legislation to provide more bankruptcy judges for several States, 
including three additional bankruptcy judgeships for my own State of 
Maryland. This legislation was introduced by Senator Biden and is being 
cosponsored by Senators Carper, Edwards, Feinstein, and Schumer.
  This bill represents a significant step forward in our efforts to 
strengthen Maryland's Federal bankruptcy court. I have long been 
involved in this effort, and I commend Senator Biden for his efforts in 
this area. We have been working for several years to get these 
additional judgeships approved, yet no legislation has been passed that 
would authorize them. With such inaction, the problem facing Maryland's 
sitting bankruptcy judges has grown, and Maryland has remained without 
the additional judgeships it so desperately needs to make our 
bankruptcy system work.
  Maryland's four sitting bankruptcy judges continue to show remarkable

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dedication given the extraordinary burdens placed upon them. However, 
additional judgeships remain essential to the fair and timely 
administration of the bankruptcy code for all of the businesses and 
individuals that come before the Maryland District.
  Since 1992, we have been requesting additional judgeships for the 
District of Maryland; thus far none has been approved. In 1992, there 
were approximately 15,000 bankruptcy filings in the District of 
Maryland. From 1998 to 2001, there were over 30,000 bankruptcy filings 
per year in Maryland. The caseload has doubled for the sitting 
bankruptcy judges in the past 10 years, and they still do their work 
with only 4 sitting bankruptcy judges. This dire need for additional 
judgeships in Maryland has yet to be remedied by the Congress.
  This legislation provides three additional judgeships for Maryland. 
These three additional judgeships would help reduce the overwhelming 
workload of the four sitting bankruptcy judges. However, a September 
2002 recommendation from the U.S. Judicial Conference calls for the 
creation of four additional judgeships in our State. And while the 
District of Maryland will be pleased to get three additional judges, 
the recommendation of the Judicial Conference for four additional 
bankruptcy judgeships demonstrates just how critical the situation is. 
As of June 30, 2002, the national weighted filing average for 
bankruptcy judges was 1,641. The weighted filing per judge for 
Maryland's 4 bankruptcy judges was 3,030 almost twice the national 
average.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support S. 3074, which would 
provide much needed help on the bankruptcy courts in Maryland and 
across the Nation.

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