Judges face case backlog

INDIANAPOLIS -- A burgeoning docket of court cases continues to frustrate Indiana's federal judges, who insist they need a new judgeship to reduce one of the nation's fastest-growing caseloads.\nA recent national report showed federal criminal and civil filings, not including bankruptcies, fell slightly last year. But in Indiana's Southern District -- which covers most of central and southern Indiana -- they rose nearly 15 percent.\nThat was the sixth-highest jump among the nation's 94 federal judicial districts, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. And the district's five judges had the most new lawsuits per judge in the country.\n"Every two years, we have to send in the biennial survey of judgeship needs," Chief District Judge Larry J. McKinney told The Indianapolis Star for a story published Tuesday. "And we always tell them the same thing -- that we'd like to have a temporary judgeship."\nThe increasing caseload includes court petitions from prisoners at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute and some prisoners on death row.\nBut the Southern District may not get help from Washington soon.\nSen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., introduced a bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., to create a temporary judgeship. The bill was referred to committee more than a year ago.\n"No hearings yet, but we're working on it," said Bayh spokesman Mark Kornblau.\nMost observers say any new judgeships are likely to go to judicial districts along the Mexican border that have similar caseloads per judge, when the complexity of cases is considered.\nNationally, the Judicial Conference, a group of policy-making federal judges, has recommended 54 new judgeships, including one for the Southern District, said Karen Redmond, a federal courts spokeswoman.\nSouthern District judges have gotten help from Magistrate Judge John Paul Godich, who retired last year but was recalled to handle some cases. Magistrate Judge Kennard P. Foster also has agreed to be recalled after he retires this fall, McKinney said.\nMagistrate judges oversee pretrial matters and procedures, evidentiary hearings, settlement conferences and other matters.