{"id":2065,"date":"2012-05-10T20:52:03","date_gmt":"2012-05-10T20:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/ilp\/?p=2065"},"modified":"2014-10-08T23:27:26","modified_gmt":"2014-10-08T23:27:26","slug":"narf-joins-with-other-national-organizations-to-call-for-end-to-judicial-vacancy-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsletters.asucollegeoflaw.com\/ilp\/2012\/05\/10\/narf-joins-with-other-national-organizations-to-call-for-end-to-judicial-vacancy-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"NARF Joins with Other National Organizations to Call for End to Judicial Vacancy Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tribal Law Updates, May 8, 2012<\/p>\n

http:\/\/tlpi.wordpress.com\/2012\/05\/08\/narf-joins-with-other-national-organizations-to-call-for-end-to-judicial-vacancy-crisis\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday the\u00a0 Native American Rights Fund<\/a> (NARF) joined with 28 other national organizations to call for an immediate end to the persistent and destructive obstruction of judicial nominees in the United States Senate. \u00a0The joint statement released by NARF and others reads as follows:<\/p>\n

Regardless of where you live or what issues you care about, all Americans deserve a judiciary that works for them. \u00a0Today\u2019s White House briefing with community leaders, legal experts and advocates for an effective judiciary is an unequivocal statement about that priority.<\/p>\n

Recent cases demonstrate that no matter the issue \u2013 health care, immigration, marriage equality, workers\u2019 rights, employment discrimination, environmental regulation, privacy, and ethics \u2013 the courts will continue to play an increasingly important role in the lives of hardworking Americans. But the courts can\u2019t function without judges. \u00a0Unprecedented obstruction by a minority in the Senate has left the nation with 96 current and future vacancies on the federal courts, leading to a substantial backlog of cases that undermines our system of justice and makes it impossible for most Americans to have their case heard in a timely manner.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s troubling to realize that, more than four months into 2012, the Senate has voted only on nominees who were pending on the Senate floor last year and eligible for a confirmation vote in 2011. \u00a0Today, in fact, marks the first time this year that the Senate is scheduled to vote on nominees who were not pending in 2011.<\/p>\n

This vacancy crisis, which has left 250 million Americans living in communities with unstaffed federal courtrooms, must end, and the confirmation process must not be allowed to be slowed even further by election-year politics. \u00a0We believe that every nominee submitted by the President this year deserves a yes-or-no vote confirmation vote. \u00a0Together, we will continue to fight for a fair judiciary and stand with the American people to ensure they have timely access qualified judges to hear their disputes and have their day in court.<\/p>\n

Signed,<\/p>\n