Opinion ID: 2427838
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The District of Arizona's Application

Text: The District of Arizona's application includes the late Chief District Judge Roll's letter dated November 24, 2010, Chief Judge Silver's letter dated January 25, 2011, and Chief Judge Silver's Declaration of a Judicial Emergency in General Order No. 11-02. See Tabs A-C. In his letter, Judge Roll reported that the District of Arizona has the sixth-highest weighted and the third-highest un-weighted caseload in the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, the District of Arizona ranked first in the Ninth Circuit and third in the nation in criminal case and defendant filings, an increase of 65% since 2008. This increase particularly affects the Tucson division. In his November 24, 2010 letter, Judge Roll explained that the then four active judges and one senior district judge in Tucson were scheduled at that time to hear 919 trials, including 893 jury trials, 73% of which involve either immigration or drag charges. See Tab A at pp. 2-3. It has been the practice of the Tucson judges to set 30 cases for jury trial each Tuesday, but the district judges cannot preside over more than two trials per week. Clearly, that schedule is premised on the likelihood that most cases will plead out, or defendants will agree to a continuance. Now, with Judge Roll's death, resulting in two vacancies on the Tucson bench, the situation has become intolerable. As further described by Chief Judge Silver, since the death of Judge Roll, the three remaining Tucson judges are facing over 1,000 felony cases each. See Tab B at p. 1. Judge Roll's death raised the number of vacancies in the District of Arizona to three, with a vacancy created in Tucson when District Judge Zapata took senior status, and another created in Phoenix when Judge Murguia was elevated to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Id. At this time, there are no nominees for these three vacancies.