7th Circuit Chief: Be On the Lookout for 'Cranky' Judges
Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook this week asked practitioners and judges to be on the alert for any aging, cranky judges who may need a call from his office.
“I urge all of you—judges and lawyers alike—to keep in mind that you are the chief judge’s eyes and ears in dealing with any issues that may develop,” Easterbrook said, according to the National Law Journal. “Judges are not immune from the risks of aging. When a judge slows down, or becomes cranky, or shows signs of losing a step mentally, I need to know.”
The request came during the 7th Circuit Bar Association’s annual meeting in Chicago when Easterbrook presented his “state of the circuit” address. The NLJ reports that Easterbrook said often a “simple intervention” is all that’s needed to resolve a problem. If a phone call doesn’t work, the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980, which gives the chief judge authority to remove problem judges.
The Chicago Tribune also reported in more detail on Easterbrook’s speech, noting that the 7th Circuit had fewer immigration petitions, which contributed to a 10 percent drop in total cases in 2007.
Easterbrook attributed the decline to work by the Board of Immigration Appeals to reduce its backlog of cases. And a more manageable load of cases means more stability for the circuit.
Easterbrook noted that a stable docket means there’s more chance for oral argument. The Tribune reports that in 2007, the 7th Circuit heard arguments in 56 percent of appeals, compared with 15 percent in Richmond, Va.-based 4th Circuit.
Also speaking before the 7th Circuit bar were Justice Antonin Scalia, who spoke about legal writing, and Chicago’s own Justice John Paul Stevens.
