The number of civil cases awaiting resolution in the federal courts for three years or more has exceeded 30,000 for the fifth time in the past decade, The Wall Street Journal's Joe Palazzolo reports. The number of cases pending is up nearly 20 percent from a decade ago.
The Eastern District for California has a particularly deep backlog, with the number of case filed per judge is almost twice the national average, Palazzolo reports. The backlog has grown because the number of judges hasn't kept pace with the region's population growth and a surge in prisoner lawsuits.
The Judicial Conference of the United States has asked for 68 new judgeships to be created by Congress, including six in California's Eastern District, Palazzolo reports.
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