Members of Arizona’s congressional delegation are working to remove Arizona from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with legislation severing ties to be introduced in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
Congressman Matt Salmon, Governor Ducey, and Senator Jeff Flake have reportedly tasked staff with studying the issue for several months. The governor in October sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressing “concerns over the Ninth Circuit’s judicial performance, culture and capacity to deliver legal rulings in an efficient and reliable manner,” according to a press release.
“I thank Governor Ducey for his leadership in addressing this urgent and long-ignored problem,” said U.S. Representative Matt Salmon (AZ-05). “Justice delayed is justice denied and the current 9th Circuit does not properly serve the people of the nation’s fastest growing region with a court that is too large, too inconsistent, too slow, and too overworked. I look forward to working with other state and federal officials on producing a viable and responsible long-term plan to vastly improve how our government, specifically our judiciary, serves constituents throughout Arizona and the Mountain West.”
“All Arizonans should be pleased to see our leaders stepping up to revisit this issue,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “The Ninth Circuit is overloaded and it’s bringing on new cases faster than it can resolve old ones. Reform in this area is long overdue, and I’m hopeful Congress can work together this session to take a step in that direction.”
“I stand with Governor Ducey and the Arizona leaders calling for this much-needed reform in our federal judiciary,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “A court with 29 judges where only three represent Arizona, where the vast majority of rulings are overturned, where cases continue to pile up and decisions are delayed well over a year – that’s a recipe for failure. Division or restructuring of the Ninth Circuit would be a significant step in the right direction toward a judiciary that better serves Arizona.”