Posted 3/14/2024, 6:05:30 PM
GOP Senators Contest New Federal Court Policy on Judge Assignments
- Senate Republicans push back against new "judge shopping" policy adopted by federal judiciary to assign cases randomly rather than allowing plaintiffs to choose perceived sympathetic judges
- Policy aimed to curb practice of conservative litigants filing cases in small Texas courthouses with single Republican-appointed judges
- Mitch McConnell calls policy "half-baked," says it will restrict access to conservative judges but not affect venues favored by liberals
- Letters from Republican senators urge local courts to ignore new policy, citing statute giving them sole discretion over case assignment
- McConnell warns judiciary against "wading into political disputes," says it could erase Republican incentive to defend procedural independence of courts