Hickenlooper Applauds Senate Passage of Bill to Add Two New Judges to Colorado’s District Court

Bipartisan legislation would add seats to the U.S. District Court of Colorado for the first time since 1984

Additions in line with nonpartisan recommendations and Hickenlooper's Colorado Judgeship Act

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper welcomed the unanimous Senate passage of the bipartisan Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act, which would address judicial shortages by increasing the number of federal district judges across the country in line with the nonpartisan recommendations made by the Judicial Commission, including an additional two judges for the U.S. District Court of Colorado.

"Caseload backlogs shouldn't stand in the way of justice. Expanding the number of judges on Colorado's district court will help meet the needs of our growing state," said Hickenlooper.

Courts across the country are overburdened and facing a shortage of federal judges. As of March 31, 2023, there were 686,797 pending cases in federal district courts across the country, averaging 491 filings per judgeship over a 12-month period. Compare that to 1990, the last time Congress passed comprehensive legislation to address judicial shortages, when there were just 279,589 pending cases across the country. With Colorado's growing population, the District Court of Colorado's caseload has reached the highest level since the Court started tracking this data. In response to the District of Colorado's need for additional support, Hickenlooper introduced the Colorado Judgeship Act in May 2023, which would add three district judges to the District Court of Colorado.

Last year, the Judicial Conference of the United States, a nonpartisan policy-making body for federal courts, recommended that Congress create 66 new district court judgeships to help alleviate this crisis. The bipartisan JUDGES Act would act on the findings in the 2023 Judicial Conference of the United States report by adding the recommended judgeships every two years over the next three presidential terms. In Colorado, the bill would add two district judges by 2033, increasing the current number of judges from seven to nine. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

Hickenlooper has filled five vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado during his time as U.S. Senator. Since 2021, he recommended Regina Rodriguez, Charlotte Sweeney, Nina Wang, Gordon Gallagher, and Kato Crews to serve on the District Court. The Senate confirmed Judge Rodriguez in June 2021, Judge Sweeney in May 2022, Judge Wang in August 2022, Judge Gallagher in March 2023, and Judge Crews in January 2024.

For full text of the bill, click HERE.

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