Rehnquist asks Congress to fund judiciary
From William Mears (Washington bureau)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Citing the impact on court security, Chief Justice William Rehnquist has made a personal appeal to President Bush and Senate leaders to pass a budget for the federal judiciary.
In a letter released Tuesday, Rehnquist asked Senate leaders Tom Daschle and Trent Lott to pass a full-year funding bill.
The federal government has been running on temporary funding measures, called continuing resolutions. The White House and the congressional leaders are still working out differences in a number of spending bills.
"Because federal courts are such inviting targets for terrorists," Congress had approved increased funding last year for security, Rehnquist said. He expressed concern that similar funding for the next fiscal year has been delayed, because of budget disputes.
The Supreme Court last fall was forced to hold its sessions in another building after traces of anthrax were found in the mail at the Supreme Court building.
The chief justice said delays in fully funding the judiciary could have a severe impact on the entire court system. Among the scenarios Rehnquist said could result from a shortage of funds are that there would be no money for private lawyers defending clients unable to pay their legal bills; that civil trials could be halted because of lack of money to pay jurors; and that there could be a freeze on hiring probation officers.
Rehnquist also cited increased workload for judges and justices, which he said "is caused by the war on terrorism, continued increases in criminal caseload, skyrocketing bankruptcy filings, and the steady growth in the number of released felons requiring supervision."
