In his book The Pursuit of Justice, Bobby Kennedy said, "Justice delayed is democracy denied." The U.S. Senate has held up presidential appointments to the federal bench in historic numbers, delaying justice from being served by creating judicial emergencies all over the country, including here in Pennsylvania.
A federal judge receives more than 400 new cases each year. It should be no surprise that with 87 vacancies on the federal bench, there is now more than a two-year waiting period for civil matters to be heard. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. acknowledges that "districts have been burdened with extraordinary caseloads."
