United States Courts

The United States Courts Committee has met three times in 2002-2003, with one meeting remaining. Each meeting has included reports from the Eastern and Western Districts on matters of current interest in the districts. We have also had detailed reports from the Western District on their experience in implementing electronic case management and electronic case filing (ECM/ECF), and have had reports from the Eastern District on their plans for implementing ECM/ECF as well. We have examined the steps being taken in each district to equip and make available "high tech" courtrooms, including an on site demonstration of Judge McKeague's newly equipped courtroom in Lansing. We reviewed for potential comment proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and Rules Governing § 2254 and § 2255 Proceedings, and submitted comments to the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure on certain of the proposed amendments to the §§ 2254 and 2255 rules. Finally, we examined the report of the Volcker Commission as it relates to federal judicial salaries, and submitted a resolution in support of the commission's recommendations to the Representative Assembly for its consideration. The Representative Assembly, at its April 26, 2003 meeting, declined to adopt the resolution proposed by the committee.